A foundation challenging Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka’s findings on the Phala Phala farm matter has launched an urgent appeal for lawyers to take over its High Court battle after its legal representatives withdrew from the case.
The Hola Bon Renaissance (HBR) Foundation has called on “law firms, attorneys and advocates” locally and internationally to represent it on a pro bono basis in its application to review and set aside the Public Protector’s Phala Phala report.
In a public notice issued on July 27, the foundation said it was seeking legal assistance after being informed that its attorneys had “withdrawn as attorneys on record”.
The foundation said it had approached the High Court in 2023 seeking to challenge the report issued by Gcaleka, who investigated the 2020 burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm and allegations surrounding foreign currency hidden at the property. “HBR made an application to the High Court in 2023 to set aside and review the Public Protector of SA Adv. Gcaleka’s report on Phala Phala,” the foundation said.
Notice did not disclose why previous lawyers withdrew
The notice did not disclose why the previous lawyers withdrew or whether the withdrawal was linked to funding, strategy or procedural issues.
The foundation said the matter was about “the rule of law and protecting our developmental state and its democracy”. It described the litigation as the following: “A matter between the nation and its people against the organ of state, ‘The Public Protector of South Africa’.” The foundation said it needed legal practitioners willing to represent it because the case involved issues of public importance.
“The HBR Foundation invites law firms, attorneys, and advocates who are interested in the rule of law and protecting our developmental state and its democracy by representing the HBR Foundation on a pro bono basis,” it said.
Phala Phala matter remains politically contested
The legal challenge comes as the Phala Phala matter remains politically contested, with opposition parties previously questioning the findings of the Public Protector’s investigation and Parliament’s handling of accountability processes involving the president.
Gcaleka’s report found no evidence that Ramaphosa had violated the Executive Ethics Code in relation to the farm burglary. The report concluded that the president did not mislead Parliament when he answered questions about the incident and that there was insufficient evidence to establish that he improperly benefited from the proceeds of a foreign currency transaction.
The HBR Foundation’s court challenge seeks to reopen scrutiny of those findings through judicial review.
Key Questions: Why is the Phala Phala review case delayed?
The foundation has appealed for donations to support its legal campaign, listing banking details under the reference “Phala Phala Review”.
“We are the last line of defence, ‘the African empowerment’,” the notice states.
The withdrawal of the legal team raises questions over whether the review application can proceed without replacement representation and whether the foundation can meet future court deadlines.
The foundation has not yet announced whether new attorneys or advocates have agreed to take over the matter. It has invited interested legal practitioners to contact it through its legal office, saying the case required lawyers prepared to act in what it describes as a constitutional and public interest matter.
Read More: Ramaphosa says bid to overturn Phala Phala interdict lacks merit
- The Hola Bon Renaissance (HBR) Foundation has launched an urgent appeal for pro bono legal representation after its lawyers withdrew from its High Court challenge against Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka's Phala Phala report.
- The HBR Foundation seeks to review and set aside Gcaleka's report, which cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa of violating the Executive Ethics Code and misleading Parliament over the 2020 Phala Phala farm burglary.
- The foundation's legal team withdrawal reasons have not been disclosed, raising concerns about the continuation of the review application and meeting future court deadlines.
- The foundation emphasizes the case's significance for the rule of law, democracy, and public interest, inviting law firms and legal practitioners locally and internationally to take over the case on a pro bono basis.
- Gcaleka's report found no evidence of wrongdoing by Ramaphosa, but the politically contested Phala Phala matter continues as opposition parties question the findings and parliamentary accountability processes.
A foundation challenging Public Protector Advocate
In a public notice issued on July 27, the foundation said it was seeking legal assistance after being informed that its attorneys had “withdrawn as attorneys on record”.
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Gcaleka’s report found no evidence that Ramaphosa had violated the Executive
“We are the last line of defence, ‘the African empowerment’,” the notice states.
Read More: Ramaphosa says bid to overturn Phala Phala interdict lacks merit
