South Africa’s president approaches court for review of panel report against him

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday approached the constitutional court to set aside a panel report which accused him of concealing a crime.

His legal team described the report as “unlawful.”

Ramaphosa’s move came a day before members of the National Assembly will vote on whether the president should be impeached.

“It’s declared that any steps taken by the National Assembly pursuant to the report are equally unlawful and invalid,” a copy of the court application reads.

An independent panel led by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo released a report that found Ramaphosa guilty of not reporting a $4 million theft at his private farm in the Limpopo province in 2020.

The panel was set up in September after former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser filed a criminal complaint against the South African president in June, accusing him of money laundering and covering up the theft.

Meanwhile, a special meeting of the governing African National Congress (ANC)’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday decided that its members of parliament will vote against the motion seeking impeachment of the president.