南非西开普敦高等法院周五裁定暂停议会针对总统拉马福萨的弹劾程序。[1][2]这一临时禁令将持续有效，直到拉马福萨对独立小组调查结果提起的单独诉讼案件得到判决。[1]拉马福萨在声明中表示"注意到并尊重"该项法院裁决。[1]
此次弹劾源于2020年拉马福萨私人农场被盗现金事件。[1][2]被盗金额据称为58万多美元。[2]这起丑闻随后被称为"Phala-Phala scandal"。[2]
独立调查小组在2022年认为拉马福萨可能需要就该盗窃事件做出解释。[1]议会已于6月启动弹劫程序，[2]但拉马福萨申请暂停，直至法院完成对议会报告的司法审查。[2]2024年5月，宪法法院曾裁定议会之前搁置该小组报告的做法违法。[1]
西开普高等法院法官Andre le Grange主持的仲裁中，两名法官支持拉马福萨的申请，一名法官持反对意见。[1]拉马福萨的另一相关案件将在9月进行听证。[1]
拉马福萨办公室表示，"总统重申对《宪法》中规定的司法独立和权力分离的尊重"。[2]
South Africa's Western Cape High Court has temporarily suspended impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa following his legal challenge. [1][2] The court's decision, issued on Friday, will pause parliamentary hearings until a separate judicial review of an independent panel's findings is concluded. [1]
The impeachment inquiry stems from a 2020 incident in which over $580,000 in cash was stolen from Ramaphosa's private farm. [1][2] An independent panel concluded in 2022 that the president may need to provide an explanation regarding the theft. [1] Parliament initiated impeachment proceedings in June after the Constitutional Court ruled in May 2024 that the legislature's earlier decision to shelve the panel's report was unlawful. [2]
According to court documents, two judges supported Ramaphosa's application while one opposed it. [1] The president's related case is scheduled for hearing in September. [1]
Ramaphosa's office responded to the ruling by stating that the president "reaffirms his respect for judicial independence and the separation of powers as enshrined in the Constitution." [2] The president also indicated he "notes and respects" the court's decision. [1]
The impeachment proceeding takes place amid a significant political shift: Ramaphosa's African National Congress party no longer holds a parliamentary majority following the 2024 elections. [1]