Ramaphosa impeachment inquiry: Constitutional Court orders Parliament to resume Phala Phala process
via The Citizen15 min read
The Constitutional Court ruled on May 8, 2026, that Parliament acted irrationally in December 2022 by rejecting the referral of a Section 89 panel report to an impeachment committee. This decision mandates the National Assembly to establish an impeachment committee, as outlined in Rule 129I, to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa. The inquiry will focus on three potential grounds for removal: serious violation of the constitution or law, serious misconduct, or inability to perform duties. Key aspects of the investigation will likely include the origin of $580,000 stolen from Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm in February 2020, which he stated was payment for buffaloes to Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa. Questions persist regarding the cash transaction, the non-delivery of the buffaloes, and why the money was not returned. The inquiry will also examine allegations of a cover-up, including the failure to report the burglary to the South African Police Service and the alleged involvement of Wally Rhoode, head of the Presidential Protection Service, in a cover-up and unlawful cross-border activities. The storage of the cash for 44 days without declaration to the South African Reserve Bank, violating Exchange Control Regulations, will also be scrutinized. Following the committee's report, the National Assembly will vote on removal, requiring a two-thirds majority of 267 votes. The current Government of National Unity, comprising the ANC and its partners, holds 287 seats, indic
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Makashule Gana, Chairperson of Parliament's Impeachment Committee, has filed an opposing affidavit in the Western Cape High Court, supporting the committee's decision to challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa's attempt to halt its work. Gana stated that shielding the President would violate constitutional accountability and breach the separation of powers. He affirmed the committee would continue its work despite the legal challenge, with a meeting scheduled to consider terms of reference and the appointment of evidence leaders. Ramaphosa is seeking to have the Independent Panel's report declared unlawful and set aside, challenging its findings of prima facie evidence of constitutional violations and misconduct. He is also seeking an urgent interdict to prevent the impeachment inquiry from starting until his separate review application against the report is finalized. Gana argued that granting the interdict would suspend the committee's work for years, violating the constitutional principle of separation of powers. He also addressed Ramaphosa's claims of reputational harm, vowing the panel would act independently, fairly, and transparently, and that the President would have every opportunity to challenge evidence. Gana emphasized the committee's limited mandate, stating it would not remove the President and would return a verdict of not guilty if charges are not supported by credible evidence. Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Thoko Didiza has chosen not to oppose Ramaphosa's urg
The Electoral Commission of South Africa IEC announced that 477,000 new voters registered during the weekend of June 20-21, with 80% of these being young people aged 16 to 29. Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo highlighted that youth-focused campaigns are resonating, indicating that young people are not apathetic voters. The commission recorded 2.9 million registration transactions in total, surpassing the 1.7 million transactions from the comparable 2021 voter registration weekend. Female voters accounted for 57% of all transactions and 53% of new registrations, continuing a trend of more females on the voters' roll. KwaZulu-Natal led provincially with 691,000 transactions. The IEC has also made its online voter registration portal zero-rated and plans a second registration weekend on August 1-2. An online candidate nomination system is live for political parties and independent candidates. Mamabolo also addressed a circulating video showing alleged registration irregularities in Mpumalanga, stating that a criminal investigation has been launched into the matter.
The African National Congress in the City of Johannesburg currently lacks a mayoral candidate for the upcoming local government elections. A leaked letter from Kgalema Motlanthe, chair of the ANC鈥檚 Electoral Committee, to Sasabona Manganye, the party鈥檚 Johannesburg regional secretary, and Johannesburg Regional Office Bearers members, indicates that previous nomination processes were flawed and inconsistent with the party鈥檚 constitution. The letter states that the Regional Executive Committee nominated only one mayoral candidate, Loyiso Masuku, and delegated the nomination of the other two candidates to the Office Bearers, which was deemed a dereliction of duty and non-compliant with party rules. Motlanthe's office has instructed the Johannesburg REC to reconvene a special meeting to nominate three mayoral candidates. These candidates must be scrutinized for qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge, expertise, integrity, and capacity. REC members must be allowed to comment on suitability and nominate other candidates. The final list of three candidates, with at least two being female, must achieve 50% plus one of the REC members' votes and reach the secretary-general鈥檚 office by Saturday, July 20, 2026. This directive follows a complaint from Muzi Ndlovu and an REC member regarding the flawed selection process. Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast commented that the ANC's brand has been damaged regardless of who becomes the mayoral candidate.