Ramaphosa refuses to resign, vows to challenge Phala Phala panel report in court

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation from the Union Buildings on Monday evening, declaring that he will not resign following last week’s Constitutional Court ruling on the Phala Phala matter, and announcing his intention to take the independent panel’s report on judicial review.

The address came after days of uncertainty and public debate triggered by a Constitutional Court judgment handed down on Friday, 9 May 2026. The Court found that certain rules governing the National Assembly’s process for removing a president were inconsistent with the Constitution.

Specifically, the ruling set aside the National Assembly’s December 2022 vote, in which Parliament chose not to refer an independent panel’s report to an impeachment committee, and ordered that the report now be sent to that committee for consideration.

The independent panel had been appointed by the National Assembly in September 2022 to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations arising from a theft at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020. The panel concluded that the information before it disclosed, prima facie, that the President may have committed serious misconduct and a serious violation of the Constitution.

Ramaphosa was unequivocal on the question of resignation, which has dominated public discourse since the ruling was delivered.

“While there have been calls in some circles that I should resign, nothing in the Constitutional Court judgment compels me to resign my office,” he told the nation. “The Constitutional Court made no finding of any kind regarding my alleged conduct. The Court made no finding on whether there was prima facie evidence of misconduct, nor if the alleged conduct, if established, justifies impeachment and the removal of the President.”

He went further, framing resignation as a betrayal of his constitutional responsibilities.

“To do so would be to pre-empt a process defined by the Constitution. To do so would be to give credence to a panel report that, unfortunately, has grave flaws. To do so would be to abdicate the responsibility that I assumed when I became President of the Republic.”

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In the strongest terms of the evening, the President said: “To resign now would be to give in to those who seek to reverse the renewal of our society, the rebuilding of our institutions and the prosecution of corruption.”

Rather than submit to the impeachment process as currently constituted, Ramaphosa announced that he would pursue judicial review of the independent panel’s report itself, a course of action he said had always been within his rights.

“On the basis of advice from my legal team and as envisaged by the Constitutional Court when it said ‘unless and until the report is set aside on review’, I have therefore decided to proceed to take the independent panel’s report on review on an expeditious basis,” he said.

The President explained that he had previously considered this route in 2022 but held back after Parliament voted not to proceed with impeachment, making the report legally moot at the time. That position has now changed.

“I was advised by my legal team that the panel report was capable of being reviewed by a court of law on several grounds, including the misconception of its mandate, grave errors of law and unfounded conclusions of fact,” he said, adding that the Constitutional Court judgment now gives the report fresh legal consequence.

He was careful to frame the review application not as defiance of Parliament but as a defence of legal and factual integrity.

“I do so not out of disrespect for Parliament or its processes, but to affirm the need for such findings to be correct in law and in fact, especially where Parliament’s work would be based on and informed by a report I believe is flawed.

Throughout the address, Ramaphosa reiterated the position he has held since the matter first arose.

“Since a criminal complaint was laid against me in June 2022, I have consistently maintained that I have not stolen public money, committed any crime, nor violated my oath of office,” he said.

Quoting directly from his original submission to the independent panel, he stated: “The complaints against me are based on hearsay allegations. No evidence, let alone sufficient evidence, has been presented to prove that I committed any violation, let alone a serious violation of the Constitution or law, or serious misconduct as set out in the Constitution.”

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He also reaffirmed his commitment to institutional cooperation. “From the beginning, I said that I would cooperate with all institutions that are mandated to deal with these types of matters. I have indeed cooperated with all investigations and enquiries into the matter. And I will continue to cooperate with all institutions that are mandated to deal with these matters.”

Closing his address, Ramaphosa sought to project stability and continuity, pointing to what he described as meaningful progress made during his tenure, including the recovery of stolen state funds, prosecutions arising from the State Capture Commission, and efforts to combat organised crime and corruption within the security services.

“I fully intend to continue serving the people of South Africa and to advance their interests. There is still much work to be done,” he said.

“Guided by the rule of law and the principle of accountability, I intend to fulfil and complete the mandate that you, the people, have given me.”

He ended on a note of resolve: “I am confident that together as a nation we will strive, we will progress and we will overcome.

The impeachment committee process and the President’s review application are expected to run concurrently in the weeks ahead, setting up what is likely to be a protracted constitutional and legal battle at the highest levels of South African governance.