South African Court Halts Ramaphosa’s Impeachment Hearing Over $580,000 Phala Phala Scandal

A South African court has temporarily halted parliamentary impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the controversial Phala Phala cash scandal, granting him a legal reprieve while it considers his challenge to an independent report that found he may have committed serious misconduct.

The Western Cape High Court ruled on Friday that Parliament's impeachment committee must suspend its work until the court determines Ramaphosa's application to review and overturn the findings of the independent panel established in 2022.

Delivering the ruling, Judge Andre le Grange ordered that the parliamentary process be put on hold pending the outcome of the judicial review.

"Pending the determination by this court of the applicant's review... respondents are interdicted from proceeding with a public impeachment hearing," the judge ruled.

The case stems from the Phala Phala scandal, which emerged after reports that $580,000 in foreign currency was stolen during a burglary at Ramaphosa's luxury game farm in Limpopo Province in 2020.

Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the money represented proceeds from the legitimate sale of 20 buffaloes to a foreign buyer. He also maintains that the burglary was reported to the police and has repeatedly rejected calls for his resignation.

However, critics have accused the president of failing to properly declare the cash and allegedly concealing details of the theft from both police authorities and the South African Revenue Service.

The complaint that triggered the investigation was filed by former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser, a political ally of former President Jacob Zuma. Fraser alleged that approximately $4 million had been concealed at the farm and accused Ramaphosa of covering up the burglary.

Those allegations prompted the establishment of an independent parliamentary panel, which concluded in November 2022 that the president "may have committed" serious violations of the Constitution and misconduct warranting further parliamentary consideration.

At the time, South Africa's National Assembly voted against launching impeachment proceedings, with Ramaphosa's governing African National Congress (ANC) using its parliamentary majority to defeat the motion.

That decision was overturned in May this year after South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament's earlier handling of the matter was unlawful, paving the way for the establishment of a parliamentary impeachment committee.

Following Friday's ruling, Ramaphosa welcomed the court's decision while reiterating his commitment to constitutional processes.

In a statement, the presidency said the president "reaffirms his respect for judicial independence and the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution."

"The President will continue to cooperate with and abide by processes of accountability," the statement added.

The legal dispute is far from over. The High Court is scheduled to hear Ramaphosa's substantive application in September, when he will seek to overturn the findings of the 2022 independent panel report.

Should Parliament eventually proceed with impeachment after the court process concludes, Ramaphosa would become the first sitting South African president to face formal impeachment proceedings under the country's democratic Constitution.

Separately, South African prosecutors dropped criminal charges related to the Phala Phala matter in 2024, although the political and constitutional controversy surrounding the scandal has continued to dominate national debate.