South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has gone to court to block a parliamentary impeachment inquiry linked to the “Farmgate” scandal, court papers show.
On Friday, Ramaphosa filed an urgent application in the High Court. He wants judges to first rule on a separate challenge to an independent panel’s finding that he committed misconduct over the case.
The scandal centers on $580,000 in cash that was stolen from a couch on Ramaphosa’s game farm in 2020. The president says the money came from selling buffalo and has denied any wrongdoing. Critics have questioned why the cash was stored in furniture and whether it was properly declared.
Last month, South Africa’s Constitutional Court reopened the impeachment process. It ruled that a 2022 parliamentary vote to end the inquiry was invalid. The High Court will hear Ramaphosa’s challenge to the panel’s findings from Sept. 2 to Sept. 4.
Ramaphosa, 73, has led the country since 2018. His second term runs until 2029. The Farmgate case has been a political liability for him, since he came into office promising to tackle corruption and rebuild the ANC’s reputation.
Still, analysts say he is likely to remain in office even if parliament holds a vote on impeachment.
