A South African court has temporarily blocked parliament from moving forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa, giving him breathing room as he fights allegations tied to a 2020 robbery at his private farm.
On Friday, Western Cape High Court Judge Andre le Grange ruled that the parliamentary committee must stop its hearings until the court decides on Ramaphosa’s separate legal challenge to the findings of an independent panel. Two of the three judges backed the pause.
The case centers on what’s become known as “Farmgate.” In 2020, burglars broke into Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo and stole an estimated $580,000 in US cash that was allegedly hidden in a sofa. The theft only became public two years later when former spy chief Arthur Fraser filed a police complaint, accusing the president of failing to report it to authorities and tax officials. Because the money was in foreign currency, questions were also raised about possible exchange control violations.
Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing and said the money came from the sale of buffalo.
In 2022, an independent panel concluded the president might have a case to answer. At the time, MPs voted not to launch an impeachment inquiry. But in May this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had acted unlawfully by shelving that report, clearing the way for the process to restart.
Parliament’s political landscape has also shifted. Following the 2024 election, Ramaphosa’s ANC lost its outright majority and now governs in a coalition, which changes the math for any impeachment vote.
In his court papers, Ramaphosa argued the panel “misconceived its mandate, misjudged the information placed before it and misinterpreted the four charges” against him. His lawyers told Friday’s hearing that allowing the impeachment hearings to continue while his review case is pending could cause “irreparable reputational harm.”
After the ruling, Ramaphosa released a brief statement saying he “notes and respects” the court’s decision.
His challenge to the panel’s findings is scheduled to be heard in September. Until that case is resolved, the impeachment inquiry cannot proceed.
