South Africa’s constitutional court has set aside a 2022 parliamentary vote that blocked impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal.
The controversy stemmed from the alleged theft of $580,000
cash from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.
The scandal came to public attention in June 2022 after a
criminal complaint alleged that the money was concealed and that there may have
been related wrongdoing.
An independent panel set up by the parliment’s speaker later
said its findings suggested that the president may have acted in a manner that
was inconsistent with his office.
Ramaphosa was accused of covering up the theft, while the
panel also questioned the source of the cash. The president, however, denied
any wrongdoing.
He later escaped impeachment after South Africa’s parliament
voted 214 to 148 in his favour, allowing him to secure a second term.
The national assembly also voted against adopting the
panel’s report, effectively halting the impeachment process at the time.
However, the decision was challenged by two opposition
parties, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EEF) and the African Transformation
Movement (ATM), leading to the renewed inquiry.
In a fresh ruling on Friday, Mandisa Maya, the presiding
justice, said the national assembly’s decision not to refer the independent
panel’s report to an impeachment committee was unlawful and invalid.
The court directed that the report be referred to an
impeachment committee for proper parliamentary scrutiny.
The ruling has prompted strong political reactions across
South Africa.
To impeach Ramaphosa, parliament would require a two-thirds
majority to remove him from office.
This means the EFF would need to secure support from other
parties in parliament to reach the required threshold.
If impeached, Ramaphosa would lose the benefits attached to
the presidency, including a lifetime salary and VIP security protection.
Following the ruling, Ramaphosa’s said he respected the
court’s judgement, noting that no one was above the law.
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