Cyril Ramaphosa's legal team has filed a challenge in the Western Cape High Court against an independent panel's findings on the Phala Phala theft. The panel concluded that there was sufficient evidence for an impeachment inquiry regarding the theft of approximately $580,000 from Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in Limpopo, which occurred on February 9, 2020.

During the court proceedings, Ramaphosa's lawyer, Wim Trengove, argued that the independent panel applied the wrong legal standards and exceeded the scope of the charges against the president. He contended that the panel failed to consider whether Ramaphosa acted intentionally or in bad faith, a crucial element in determining whether his conduct warranted impeachment. Trengove emphasized that serious misconduct must be established as intentional for it to qualify for impeachment under parliamentary rules.

The panel's report, released in November 2022, identified four charges against Ramaphosa, including potential violations of the Constitution and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act. Trengove asserted that the panel misinterpreted the legal threshold for determining whether there was sufficient evidence to proceed with an impeachment inquiry, equating "sufficient evidence" with "prima facie" evidence, which he argued was incorrect.

Judge President Nolwazi Mabindla-Boqwana and other judges questioned the arguments presented by Trengove, particularly regarding the panel's assessment of evidence and the implications of its findings. Trengove maintained that the panel's failure to properly weigh the evidence and its misinterpretation of the charges against Ramaphosa rendered the report flawed.

The court proceedings are part of a broader legal battle surrounding the Phala Phala scandal, which has drawn significant public and political scrutiny. In May 2023, the Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully when it halted the impeachment process against Ramaphosa, leading to the establishment of an impeachment committee to investigate the allegations further.

As the review application continues, the court has temporarily halted the impeachment committee's proceedings pending the outcome of Ramaphosa's challenge. The hearings are scheduled to take place over three days, with the next sessions set for September 2-4, 2026. Ramaphosa's legal team is seeking to have the independent panel's report set aside before any further parliamentary action is taken.