- A South African court suspended impeachment proceedings against President Ramaphosa
- The case relates to cash stolen from his Phala Phala farm in 2020
- The court will hear his challenge to the 2022 panel report in September
A South African court has granted President Cyril Ramaphosa’s request to temporarily halt parliamentary impeachment proceedings linked to the controversial Phala Phala cash scandal.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the Western Cape High Court delivered the ruling on Friday, preventing the impeachment committee from continuing its work until the court determines Ramaphosa’s application challenging the findings of an independent panel report released in November 2022.
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Delivering the judgment, Judge Andre le Grange ordered that the parliamentary process be suspended pending the outcome of the judicial review.
The controversy centres on the discovery that a large sum of foreign currency, reportedly about $580,000, was stolen during a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo Province.
The South African leader has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting the money came from the sale of 20 buffaloes and that the burglary was reported to law enforcement authorities.
The case was initiated by a former intelligence chief and ally of ex-President Jacob Zuma, who alleged that Ramaphosa failed to properly disclose the theft to the police and tax authorities and claimed the amount involved was much higher.
Following Friday’s ruling, Ramaphosa reiterated his respect for the country’s judicial system, saying he remains committed to cooperating with all lawful accountability processes.
His office also stated that the President would continue to uphold the principles of judicial independence and the separation of powers as guaranteed by South Africa’s Constitution.
The court is expected to hear Ramaphosa’s application to overturn the 2022 panel report in September.
Although lawmakers initially voted against commencing impeachment proceedings because the governing African National Congress held a parliamentary majority, South Africa’s Constitutional Court overturned that decision in May, paving the way for the establishment of an impeachment committee.
If the process eventually proceeds, Ramaphosa would become the first sitting South African president to face impeachment proceedings.
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