Court Halts Impeachment Hearing Against South Africa’s President Over $580,000 Scandal

A South African court has temporarily stopped impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the controversial $580,000 cash scandal linked to his Phala Phala farm.

The Western Cape High Court ruled on Friday that Parliament’s impeachment committee cannot proceed with a public hearing until the court determines Ramaphosa’s application challenging an independent panel report from November 2022.

The report found that the president “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct connected to the discovery and theft of foreign currency kept at his private farm.

Judge Andre le Grange ordered the impeachment process to remain suspended pending the outcome of Ramaphosa’s legal challenge.

The controversy dates back to a 2020 break-in at Ramaphosa’s luxury Phala Phala property in Limpopo province, where approximately $580,000 in cash was reportedly stolen.

Ramaphosa has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and rejected allegations that he attempted to conceal the incident from police or tax authorities.

The president maintains that the money was legitimate proceeds from the sale of 20 buffaloes and says the robbery was reported to the authorities.

The original complaint was filed by a former South African intelligence chief, who alleged that as much as $4 million had been stolen and accused Ramaphosa of concealing the robbery.

Following Friday’s ruling, Ramaphosa said he respects South Africa’s judicial independence and constitutional separation of powers.

“The President will continue to cooperate with and abide by processes of accountability,” his office said in a statement.

The legal battle is far from over.

The court is expected to hear Ramaphosa’s attempt to overturn the 2022 independent panel report in September.

The controversy previously reached Parliament, where lawmakers voted against proceeding with impeachment while Ramaphosa’s African National Congress held a majority.

Although prosecutors dropped the case in 2024, a Constitutional Court decision later overturned Parliament’s earlier vote, paving the way for the establishment of a new impeachment committee.

If the proceedings eventually move forward, Ramaphosa could face the first impeachment process involving a sitting South African president.