Ramaphosa Asks the Court to Halt His Own Impeachment Inquiry
SOUTH AFRICA · COURTS
Key Facts
- —The background In 2022 a panel found President Cyril Ramaphosa may have broken the law over US$580,000 in cash hidden in a sofa on his game farm.
- —What parliament did It voted 214 to 148 not to act on the report in December 2022.
- —What revived it A Constitutional Court ruling in May 2026 that forced parliament to refer the report to an impeachment committee.
- —Who is in court Ramaphosa. He is the one suing, and parliament is the respondent.
- —What he wants The 2022 panel report reviewed and set aside. He says it asked the wrong questions.
- —Where it stands Judgment was reserved on 4 September and has not been delivered.
The Phala Phala case has produced an unusual sight in the Western Cape High Court. A sitting president is asking judges to stop his own parliament from investigating him.
Cyril Ramaphosa is in the Western Cape High Court, and he is the applicant. He wants the report that could lead to his impeachment reviewed and set aside.
Where the Case Comes From
In February 2020, thieves took foreign currency hidden in furniture at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm. The theft was not reported to the police in the ordinary way.
An independent panel chaired by former chief justice Sandile Ngcobo reported in November 2022 that he may have committed serious violations.
The National Assembly voted on 13 December 2022 by 214 to 148 not to proceed. That appeared to end the matter for three and a half years.
In May 2026 the Constitutional Court ruled that the report had to go to an impeachment committee. The process restarted.
The President as Applicant
The case is Ramaphosa against the Speaker of the National Assembly and others. The respondents include the Speaker, the chair of the impeachment committee, and four opposition parties.
On 24 July the court granted an interim interdict stopping public impeachment hearings while the review proceeds. It was a split decision, two judges to one.
The main review was heard from 2 to 4 September. His counsel, Wim Trengove, argued the panel asked the wrong questions and applied the wrong test.
The panel also failed, he said, to assess whether the evidence before it was admissible.
Judgment was reserved on 4 September. It has not been handed down.
The Committee That Cannot Get Started
Parliament’s impeachment committee, chaired by Makashule Gana, has spent September arguing about its own staff.
On 1 September it voted 18 to 9 to rescind the appointment of Advocate Griffiths Madonsela as chief evidence leader.
On 9 September it voted 19 to 9 to oppose the Economic Freedom Fighters’ litigation rather than appoint a replacement.
It still has no finalised terms of reference. The EFF filed its own urgent application around 7 September to overturn the rescission.
That case is set down for 18 September.
What an Impeachment Would Require
Section 89 of the constitution allows removal of a president on three grounds. A serious violation of the constitution or the law, serious misconduct, or inability to do the job.
It requires a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, 267 of 400 votes.
The ANC holds 159 seats. Removal would need the ANC to vote against its own president alongside most of the opposition.
No South African president has been removed under section 89. Jacob Zuma survived several attempts and resigned instead under party pressure.
Why the Timing Is Awkward
South Africa votes in local elections on 4 November. A judgment in October would land in the middle of the campaign.
Ramaphosa leads a coalition government in which the Democratic Alliance is the second-largest partner. The DA has not pressed the impeachment.
The parties driving it are the EFF, the MK Party and the African Transformation Movement, all outside government.
The court could uphold the review and end the process. Or it could dismiss it, and send parliament back to a committee that cannot agree on a lawyer.
More: Africa news and analysis, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ramaphosa being impeached?
Not yet. A parliamentary impeachment committee exists, and the president is in court trying to have the underlying report set aside.
What is Phala Phala?
Ramaphosa’s game farm, where foreign currency hidden in furniture was stolen in February 2020 and the theft was not reported normally.
Who brought the court case?
Ramaphosa. He is the applicant, and the Speaker of the National Assembly is the first respondent.
What did the court decide?
Judgment was reserved on 4 September 2026 and has not been delivered.
What would impeachment require?
A two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, 267 of 400 votes.
What happens on 18 September?
The Economic Freedom Fighters have an urgent application over the removal of the committee’s evidence leader.
Sources: Western Cape High Court, SAFLII, Daily Maverick, IOL, eNCA, The Citizen.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief