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South Africa's top court backs case seeking to revive impeachment process against president

By Reuters Reuters
Chief Justice Mandisa Maya goes trough the judgement as South Africa's Constitutional Court gives the ruling on whether the parliament failed to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa to account over the "Farmgate" scandal, involving allegations that foreign currency was hidden at his Phala Phala game farm, in Johannesburg, South Africa, May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Siphiwe Sibeko Reuters
Judges take their seat at South Africa's Constitutional Court ahead of the ruling on whether the parliament failed to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa to account over the "Farmgate" scandal, involving allegations that foreign currency was hidden at his Phala Phala game farm, in Johannesburg, South Africa, May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Judges take their seat at South Africa's Constitutional Court ahead of the ruling on whether the parliament failed to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa to account over the "Farmgate" scandal, involving allegations that foreign currency was hidden at his Phala Phala game farm, in Johannesburg, South Africa, May 8, 2026. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Siphiwe Sibeko Reuters




JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's constitutional court on Friday backed an opposition party's case that seeks to revive impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal dubbed "Farmgate" by local media.

The scandal almost brought down Ramaphosa when it erupted in 2022 after an independent panel found evidence he may have committed misconduct.

Ramaphosa denied wrongdoing and was never charged with a crime.

His political party the African National Congress (ANC) rallied around him at the time, using its parliamentary majority to prevent an impeachment process from being launched.

In 2024 the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) approached the country's highest court, arguing parliament had acted unlawfully by failing to hold Ramaphosa to account.

(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina and Sfundo Parakozov;Editing by Alexander Winning)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 1:59 AM.

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