Constitutional Court to deliver judgment in Phala Phala case, potentially impacting President Ramaphosa
via The Citizen3 min read
The Constitutional Court is scheduled to deliver its judgment on May 8 regarding the Phala Phala case, a decision that could renew pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa. This ruling follows a legal challenge by the Economic Freedom Fighters EFF and the African Transformation Movement ATM in November 2024, after parliament declined to adopt a Section 89 independent panel report. The panel had concluded there was sufficient basis for Ramaphosa to address questions about the alleged theft of approximately $580,000 from his Phala Phala game farm in February 2020. The National Assembly voted against referring the report for an impeachment process in December 2022, and a subsequent attempt to establish an ad hoc parliamentary committee in March 2023 also failed. The scandal became public in June 2022 when former State Security Agency SSA boss Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa and the head of the Presidential Protection Service PPS, Wally Rhoode, alleging concealment of a $4 million theft. Ramaphosa confirmed a burglary, stating the cash was payment for Ankole cattle. Investigations by the Public Protector, the South African Reserve Bank SARB, and the South African Revenue Service Sars cleared the president of wrongdoing, but the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Ipid reported that Rhoode covered up the break-in and interrogated suspects. If the ConCourt rules in favor of the EFF and ATM, parliament might be compelled to reconsider the Section 89 repor
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