President Cyril Ramaphosa has approached the Western Cape Division of the High Court in Cape Town on an urgent basis to stop Parliament's impeachment committee from proceeding while he challenges the Section 89 independent panel report in a separate review application.

Through his legal representative, Advocate Wim Trengove, Ramaphosa argued that allowing the inquiry to continue before the review is decided would cause him irreparable reputational damage and subject a sitting President to unnecessary public humiliation.

The application follows the Constitutional Court's decision directing Parliament to establish an impeachment committee after the independent panel concluded that there was sufficient evidence suggesting Ramaphosa had a case to answer regarding the Phala Phala matter.

The controversy centres on the theft of approximately US$580,000 that had been concealed inside furniture at the President's Phala Phala game farm.

Ramaphosa maintains that the panel's findings are flawed and should first be reviewed by the courts before any impeachment process is allowed to continue.The High Court heard two days of legal argument before reserving judgment on the urgent interdict application.

The outcome will determine whether Parliament's impeachment committee may proceed immediately or must wait until the review of the Section 89 report has been finalised.

The case represents another significant legal development in the long-running Phala Phala saga and could have important implications for the balance between judicial review and Parliament's constitutional oversight responsibilities.