President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected calls for his resignation while announcing he will take the Independent Panel’s Phala Phala report on review.
He insisted that the Constitutional Court made no finding about his alleged conduct.
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In his address to the nation on Monday night, 11 May 2026, Ramaphosa accepted the court’s judgment on procedural grounds while also preparing a legal challenge against the findings that triggered the impeachment process.
“I accept and respect the court’s ruling,” Ramaphosa said.
He said he had reflected deeply on what the judgment means for Mzansi.
“The Constitution must remain our guide,” he said.
Review application planned
The President revealed that, following advice from his legal team, he has decided to take the Independent Panel report on review.
The move could delay or complicate the impeachment committee’s work by challenging the findings it is meant to investigate.
Ramaphosa repeated his long-standing position that he committed no wrongdoing.
“I have consistently explained that I didn’t steal any money nor violate my oath of office,” he said.
He also promised to continue cooperating with institutions investigating the complaint.
In what appeared to be his strongest defence, Ramaphosa stressed that although there have been calls for his resignation, the Constitutional Court made no finding about his alleged conduct.
The court’s judgment dealt only with Parliament’s handling of the matter and not the allegations themselves.
“I will not resign,” Ramaphosa said.
He made it clear that he intends to fight the impeachment process through its full course.
The decision to launch a review application while facing an impeachment committee raises legal questions about how the two processes will affect each other.
The Independent Panel found prima facie evidence of serious constitutional violations.
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Parliament will now examine those findings through the impeachment committee, while Ramaphosa challenges their validity in court.
Opposition parties, which have demanded immediate action on the impeachment process, are likely to view the review application as a delaying tactic aimed at frustrating accountability.
