By Simon Nare
The African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee (NEC) has endorsed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to take the Constitutional Court’s Phala Phala judgment for judicial review, following a three-day special meeting to consider the ruling.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said in a post-NEC briefing on Friday that the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences was unanimous in backing Ramaphosa’s move to challenge the findings of an independent panel report.
The report, chaired by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, retired High Court judge Thokozile Masipa and Advocate Mahlape Sello, had found that Ramaphosa had a case to answer in relation to the Phala Phala matter and recommended that an impeachment committee be established to probe further.
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The National Assembly later rejected the recommendation through a majority vote, but the Economic Freedom Fighters took the matter to the Constitutional Court, which delivered its ruling on 8 May 2026.
Mbalula said both the NEC and national officials had expressed full support for Ramaphosa’s decision to pursue a judicial review and dismissed calls for his resignation or impeachment.
“The Constitutional Court did not order an impeachment trial of the President. The Court did not find the President guilty of anything. The Court did not direct that the President be removed from office. The Court did not endorse the findings of the Section 89 Independent Panel,” Mbalula said.
He said the NEC had spoken with one voice in backing Ramaphosa after he presented a report to the structure following deliberations by the party’s national officials, also known as the Top Seven.
“The National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, in the meeting that has just risen, did not consider and was not asked to consider the recall of the president. Resignation was not on the table. None of those matters were on the table,” he said.
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Mbalula said the NEC reaffirmed its “full and continuing support” for Ramaphosa as leader of the party and the Government of National Unity.
He accused commentators, the media and political analysts of prematurely calling for impeachment or resignation, arguing that the apex court had not made such findings and had focused only on parliamentary procedure.
Mbalula said Ramaphosa was within his rights to seek a judicial review of the matter, adding that earlier legal avenues had been exhausted before the matter was effectively overtaken by the National Assembly vote.
He acknowledged that the ANC faced a difficult political environment ahead of the local government elections, citing ongoing scandals including the Phala Phala matter.
“It’s going to be a tough campaign in any event, and we believe that our president is an asset in leading that campaign of the ANC and we are confident of a victory,” Mbalula said, pointing to recent by-election wins.
