Top lawyers in line for Phala Phala evidence leader

Some of South Africa’s most accomplished senior counsels have emerged as contenders to lead evidence before Parliament’s Phala Phala impeachment committee as political parties prepare to decide who will steer the inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal.
The Section 89 committee chairperson, Makashule Gana, has received nominations from political parties, with committee members expected to appoint an evidence leader when they meet on Wednesday.

The successful candidate will occupy a pivotal position in one of Parliament’s most consequential constitutional processes, leading evidence, examining witnesses and guiding MPs as they investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conduct in relation to the alleged theft in 2020 of foreign currency hidden in a sofa at his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo.

The official opposition in the National Assembly, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), initially nominated Adv Thabani Masuku SC for the role. The nomination was contained in a letter dated June 25, 2026, addressed to Gana, in which the party nominated Masuku “for appointment as an Evidence Leader to assist the Section 89 Impeachment Committee in the execution of its mandate”.

The letter, signed by MK Party parliamentary leader John Hlophe, described Masuku as a senior counsel with extensive experience in constitutional, administrative, public law and parliamentary matters.

“His professional background, standing at the Bar, and demonstrated ability to deal with complex legal and evidentiary issues make him suitably qualified to serve in this important role,” the letter reads.

However, Sunday World has learnt that Masuku has indicated he would not be available to take up the appointment, prompting the party to consider replacing its nomination with Adv Vuyani Ngalwana SC.

Ngalwana is one of the leading constitutional and commercial law practitioners.
A former chairperson of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa, he also served on the legal team representing the South African Police Service during the Marikana
Commission of Inquiry and has appeared in numerous constitutional matters in the country’s superior courts.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has nominated veteran advocate Marumo Moerane SC. Widely regarded as one of the country’s most respected senior counsels, Moerane took silk in 1994 and is considered South Africa’s most senior black practising advocate.

He is perhaps best known for chairing the Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System in KwaZulu-Natal, commonly known as the Moerane commission.

Among the commission’s recommendations was the establishment of the Police Political Killings Task Team, while its work has also been credited with contributing to a reduction in politically motivated killings, particularly at Glebelands Hostel in KwaZulu-Natal.

The African Transformation Movement has nominated Adv Doron Goldberg SC, a senior advocate at the Cape Bar with a predominantly commercial practice that specialises in company and insolvency law. A University of Cape Town graduate, Goldberg has practised at the Bar since 1996 and currently chairs the Cape Bar’s finance committee.

Sunday World has also seen a letter in which ActionSA recommends Adv Kate Hofmeyr SC as the committee’s evidence leader.

In the letter to Gana, dated July 10, ActionSA parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni says the inquiry will need a lot of detailed and complicated evidence, so it’s important to have a candidate who knows about constitutional and commercial law and has experience in handling large amounts of evidence. The party says Parliament should draw lessons from the previous Section 89 ad hoc committee.

“Recalling the shortfalls of the Ad Hoc Committee process, we strongly recommend that the appointment prioritise a candidate with experience in comparable commissions or inquiries or other proceedings involving leading extensive evidence, where the ability to assess, organise and present complex information is key to the work and success of our process,” the letter states.

United African Transformation leader Wonderboy Mahlatsi told Sunday World that his party intended to support a candidate backed by either the EFF or the MK Party.
“We have suggested a meeting before we vote for an evidence leader on Wednesday. That is when we make a decision on who we will appoint,” Mahlatsi said.

The appointment of the evidence leader is regarded as one of the committee’s first major decisions before it begins hearing evidence in the impeachment inquiry. The successful candidate will be responsible for presenting and testing evidence, examining witnesses and assisting committee members in assessing the factual and legal issues before them.

On Wednesday this week Ramaphosa sought to interdict the work of the committee. The judgment on the matter was expected this coming week.

Queenin Masuabi