Overview
- About US$580,000 was stolen from Ramaphala’s Phala Phala game farm in February 2020 and the theft surfaced publicly in June 2022 when a former security boss lodged a complaint.
- An independent Section 89 panel found in November 2022 that there was prima facie evidence Ramaphosa may have breached the Constitution and anti‑corruption law, a finding that under current law is treated as the jurisdictional step before impeachment.
- Ramaphosa has filed a review application in the Western Cape High Court to set aside the panel report and his lawyers argue the panel failed to consider his full account that the cash came from a game sale.
- Opponents including MKP, EFF and ATM told the court on September 3–4 that the review is a delaying tactic and urged judges to leave the panel finding intact so Parliament can proceed, with Justice Mark Sher saying the panel’s finding is 'binding in effect' for launching impeachment.
- The court’s decision will determine whether Parliament’s barred impeachment committee can resume, shape when the president must answer detailed questions about the cash and deepen political pressure on Ramaphosa if the report is upheld.