South Africa’s top court revives impeachment inquiry against president | Politics News
South Africa’s Highest Court Revives Impeachment Proceedings Against President Ramaphosa
Published: May 8, 2026
South Africa’s Constitutional Court has cleared the way for the revival of impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa, stating that Parliament’s earlier decision to block an inquiry into allegations of financial misconduct was unconstitutional.
In a ruling delivered on Friday, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya indicated that the National Assembly’s vote from December 13, 2022, which favored shelving the inquiry, was invalid and must be set aside. The court has ordered that the independent panel’s findings be submitted to an impeachment committee.
The impeachment proceedings stem from a scandal involving the theft of a significant sum of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s farmhouse in 2020, an event that has been referred to as “Farmgate.” After the incident, questions arose regarding Ramaphosa’s transparency about the origins of the cash, which was reportedly found hidden in a sofa.
In 2022, Ramaphosa previously avoided impeachment when his African National Congress (ANC) party leveraged its parliamentary majority to dismiss an independent panel’s recommendation for an inquiry. The allegations were first brought to light by Arthur Fraser, a former head of the State Security Agency, who claimed that approximately $4 million in foreign currency had been taken. Ramaphosa has disputed this figure, stating that only $580,000 was stolen.
Following the court’s ruling, two opposition parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), brought forward the case for review. The EFF has called for Ramaphosa to resign amid the ongoing accusations.
The impeachment committee now faces the task of reviewing evidence and determining whether to recommend formal proceedings against the president. Even if they proceed, removing Ramaphosa from office could be challenging; a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly is required for impeachment, and the ANC still holds more than one-third of the assembly’s seats, despite losing its majority in 2024.
In a statement following the ruling, Ramaphosa’s office expressed respect for the court’s decision, affirming that no one is above the law. The impeachment committee is expected to deliberate for several months before deciding on the next steps.
