The Presidency confirmed on Friday that Ramaphosa will comply with the ruling, which effectively reopens the path for a fresh impeachment inquiry after the court found Parliament’s initial handling of the matter to be unconstitutional. The judgement compels the National Assembly to revisit allegations tied to undeclared foreign currency stolen from the President’s private farm.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the Presidency had “taken note” of the decision, emphasising that the President respects the authority of the country’s highest court.

“President Ramaphosa respects the Constitutional Court's judgement and reaffirms his commitment to the Constitution, the independence of the judiciary, and the rule of law,” Magwenya said.

He added that the President maintains that “no person is above the law” and that all allegations should be tested through due process “without fear, favour, or prejudice”. The Presidency also called on citizens to respect judicial institutions as the matter returns to Parliament for renewed Section 89 proceedings.

In its ruling, the apex court found that the National Assembly acted unlawfully in December 2022 when it dismissed a preliminary report that indicated there may have been grounds to pursue impeachment. The case was brought before the court by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which argued that Parliament had failed in its constitutional duty to hold the President accountable. 

Ramaphosa has continuously denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the $580,000 discovered hidden in furniture on his Limpopo game estate was genuine revenue from the sale of buffalo to a Sudanese businessman. 

Background: What is the Phala Phala scandal?

The Phala Phala controversy stems from a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s private game farm in Limpopo, during which a large sum of foreign currency was stolen. The incident only became public in 2022 after former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against the President.

Fraser alleged that Ramaphosa failed to properly report the theft and instead authorised a covert investigation, raising potential concerns over violations of tax laws, foreign exchange regulations, and the possible misuse of state resources.

The allegations triggered significant political fallout, with opposition parties, led by the EFF, calling for impeachment proceedings. In response, the National Assembly appointed an independent panel chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to proceed.

The panel found that there may have been a case to answer, but Parliament ultimately voted against adopting its findings in December 2022, effectively halting the impeachment process at the time.

Friday’s Constitutional Court ruling has now revived that process, sending the matter back to the National Assembly and reopening the possibility of formal impeachment proceedings against the President.