President Cyril Ramaphosa has successfully used the courts to pump the brakes on a parliamentary impeachment inquiry stemming from the 'Farmgate' scandal.
The Western Cape high court ruled on Friday to halt committee hearings, granting the president a temporary victory while he challenges the findings of an independent panel that previously suggested he had a case to answer.
The scandal, which erupted in 2022, centers on a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s private Phala Phala farm, where thieves made off with at least $580,000 in U.S. currency that had been stashed inside a sofa.
Ramaphosa has maintained his innocence, claiming the funds were proceeds from the sale of buffaloes, though he faced accusations from former spy chief Arthur Fraser of failing to report the theft to authorities and potentially violating exchange control laws.
While the Constitutional Court had previously cleared the path for parliament to pursue impeachment, the new ruling by Judge Andre le Grange ensures the process remains frozen until Ramaphosa’s separate legal challenge is finalized.
The president’s legal team argued that proceeding with the inquiry would cause him 'irreparable reputational harm.' As South Africa’s political landscape shifts following the 2024 election and the loss of the ANC’s absolute majority, the ruling provides a critical delay for a leader struggling to maintain his standing amidst persistent allegations of financial impropriety.
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