South Africa’s highest court has reopened the political fallout surrounding the Phala Phala scandal after ruling that Parliament improperly dismissed a report recommending a deeper investigation into President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Constitutional Court found that lawmakers acted unlawfully in 2022 when they voted against adopting an independent panel report that identified evidence suggesting Ramaphosa may have questions to answer over a cash theft at his Phala Phala game farm.
The controversy centres on approximately US$580,000 allegedly stolen from a couch at the farm, a case that has shadowed Ramaphosa’s presidency for several years.
Delivering the judgment, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya said that where an inquiry panel concludes there is sufficient evidence of possible misconduct, the matter must proceed to a parliamentary impeachment committee for a full investigation.
The ruling effectively revives the impeachment process and could lead to Parliament reconsidering whether Ramaphosa should face formal impeachment proceedings.
At the time of the original vote in 2022, Ramaphosa avoided impeachment after members of the ruling African National Congress used their parliamentary majority to reject the report’s recommendations.
Opposition parties challenged that decision in court, arguing the ANC had shielded the president from accountability.
Among the most vocal critics has been Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, who called for Ramaphosa to resign immediately following the judgment.
Addressing supporters after the ruling, Malema claimed the impeachment process would expose further damaging information linked to the scandal.
Ramaphosa has consistently denied wrongdoing. He maintains that the cash discovered at the farm came from the legitimate sale of buffalo livestock and said the theft was reported to the head of his security team.
However, a parliamentary panel that previously examined the matter concluded there was enough evidence to warrant a full investigation by an impeachment committee.
The scandal has remained politically sensitive for Ramaphosa, particularly as opposition parties have repeatedly used it to question his credibility and leadership.
The president survived the earlier parliamentary vote while the ANC still held a majority in the National Assembly. That dominance ended after the 2024 elections, when the party lost its outright majority for the first time since taking power in 1994.
Ramaphosa is currently serving his final presidential term.
In addition to allegations linked directly to the theft, critics have also raised questions about possible breaches of tax and foreign exchange regulations, as well as why large sums of cash were allegedly stored inside furniture rather than in formal banking systems.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa had consistently cooperated with all investigations into the matter and would continue to do so.
Magwenya added that the president believes all allegations should be handled through lawful processes without political interference.
Two earlier investigations — one by the South African Reserve Bank and another by a public watchdog — had previously cleared Ramaphosa of wrongdoing.
