South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has secured a temporary pause on a parliamentary inquiry that could potentially lead to his impeachment over the so‑called “Farmgate” scandal.
The ruling came after a Constitutional Court judge deemed that Parliament had unlawfully shelved a report from an independent panel investigating the 2020 robbery at Ramaphosa’s private farm, where thieves allegedly stole more than $580,000 in cash hidden in a sofa.
Responding to Parliament’s decision that earlier in 2022 the House had voted against an impeachment inquiry, Ramaphosa’s advisers filed a separate court case challenging the panel’s findings. In May the court found Parliament had overstepped its authority, clearing the way for the inquiry to be revived. The latest decision, issued by Judge Andre le Grange of the Western Cape High Court, effectively halts the committee’s proceedings until Ramaphosa’s own case is heard and decided in September.
Ramaphosa, who claims the money came from the sale of buffalo and that he never misused it, released a brief statement noting: “I acknowledge, understand and respect,” the court’s decision. While the ruling "does not prevent the committee from preparing work," it offers the president a window to reclaim his reputation and challenge allegations that he concealed the robbery from law‑enforcement and tax authorities.
Political reactions have been mixed: the Democratic Alliance, part of the governing coalition, said the verdict was predictable yet the committee could still carry out preparatory work. The opposition uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) campaign and the National Coalition’s supporters seized on the decision as a tactic to dodge scrutiny. The ANC, meanwhile, welcomed the ruling and urged parties to avoid politically‑motivated distortions in the unfolding legal saga.
Union leaders and civil‑rights groups are keen to see whether the court will ultimately allow the inquiry to proceed, while critics argue that the delay simply prolongs uncertainty over the president’s conduct.
Additional reporting by Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg.
