South African court halts Ramaphosa impeachment inquiry over ‘Farmgate’ scandal
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has secured a temporary legal victory after a court halted parliamentary efforts to investigate whether he should face impeachment over the long-running “Farmgate” controversy.
The ruling by the Western Cape High Court prevents a parliamentary committee from proceeding with impeachment-related hearings until a separate legal challenge filed by the president against an earlier investigative report has been determined.
Ramaphosa is seeking to overturn findings by an independent panel which concluded in 2022 that there may be grounds for him to answer questions over the handling of a burglary at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo Province.
The scandal centres on allegations that a large amount of cash, reportedly hidden inside a sofa at the farm, was stolen during a 2020 break-in. The matter became public two years later after former South African intelligence chief Arthur Fraser accused the president of failing to properly report the incident and raised concerns about the source and handling of the money.
According to reports, the stolen funds amounted to about $580,000 in cash. Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the money came from the sale of buffaloes at the farm.
The Constitutional Court ruled in May that Parliament had acted unlawfully when it previously decided not to pursue the panel’s findings, opening the door for lawmakers to revisit the impeachment process.
However, in Friday’s decision, two of the three judges hearing the matter sided with the president, effectively suspending the parliamentary inquiry until his court challenge against the panel’s report is resolved.
Ramaphosa’s legal team argued that allowing the impeachment process to continue before the review case is concluded could cause significant and irreversible damage to the president’s reputation.
The ruling gives the South African leader additional time as he attempts to clear his name through the courts. His challenge to the panel’s findings is expected to be heard in September.
In a brief statement following the judgment, Ramaphosa said he had taken note of the decision and respected the court’s ruling.
The Farmgate affair remains one of the most politically sensitive issues facing Ramaphosa’s presidency and continues to generate debate in South Africa, particularly as the African National Congress now governs through a coalition after losing its parliamentary majority in the 2024 elections.
Source: BBC
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