By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
South Africa, May 08, 2026 - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing renewed political pressure after the country’s top court ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully when it blocked impeachment proceedings linked to the controversial “Phala Phala” cash scandal.
The Constitutional Court on Friday ordered lawmakers to reconsider the impeachment process, reopening a political storm that has followed Ramaphosa for years.
The case centres on the alleged theft of about $580,000 (Sh74.9 million) hidden inside furniture at the President’s private game farm in Limpopo province in 2020.
At the time, Ramaphosa said the money came from the sale of buffaloes to a Sudanese businessman and denied any wrongdoing.
However, an independent parliamentary panel later found that he may have a case to answer, prompting calls for impeachment.
In 2022, Parliament voted against proceeding with the impeachment inquiry after Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC), which then held a majority, blocked the move.
Now, the Constitutional Court has overturned that decision.
“It is declared that the vote of the National Assembly taken on 13 December 2022... is inconsistent with the Constitution, invalid, and it is set aside,” Chief Justice Mandisa Maya ruled.
The judgement has immediately intensified pressure on the South African leader, with opposition parties demanding accountability.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema said Ramaphosa should step down and focus on defending himself.
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“You cannot serve the two - one is going to suffer,” Malema said, referring to leading the country while facing possible impeachment proceedings.
He added that ANC lawmakers could eventually turn against the President once the evidence is revisited.
The legal challenge was brought by the EFF alongside the African Transformation Movement (ATM), both arguing that Parliament ignored constitutional principles when it dismissed the impeachment recommendations.
While the court did not decide whether Ramaphosa broke the law, the ruling clears the way for Parliament to reopen the matter through a formal impeachment committee.
The judgement also arrives at a politically sensitive time for Ramaphosa, whose ANC no longer enjoys a parliamentary majority after the 2024 elections and now governs through a coalition arrangement.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), currently part of the coalition government, signalled it may not shield the President from scrutiny.
“The DA stands for a different kind of politics in which the Constitution comes before party loyalty, and no leader is shielded from answering to the people,” said DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.
The scandal first became public in 2022 after former spy boss Arthur Fraser accused Ramaphosa of concealing details surrounding the theft at the Phala Phala farm.
Although separate investigations by the Reserve Bank and Public Protector cleared the President of wrongdoing, the issue has remained politically damaging.
Three suspects are currently on trial over the alleged theft.