South Africa's 'Farmgate' scandal has reached a critical impasse, with President Cyril Ramaphosa securing a temporary reprieve from impeachment proceedings. On Friday, the Western Cape High Court granted an injunction halting parliamentary hearings against him, pending the outcome of his separate legal challenge to the findings of an independent panel.
The controversy centres on a 2020 robbery at Ramaphosa's private farm in Phala Phala, Limpopo province, where thieves stole an estimated $580,000 (£430,000) in US dollar bills from a sofa. The incident was kept under wraps for two years until former spy chief Arthur Fraser revealed the allegations, suggesting that Ramaphosa had concealed the theft and potentially breached exchange control laws. Ramaphosa maintains the cash came from the sale of buffalo.
An independent panel's 2022 report concluded that Ramaphosa might have a case to answer. Initially, MPs voted against opening an impeachment inquiry, but the Constitutional Court intervened in May, ruling that parliament had acted unlawfully by shelving the panel's findings. This decision paved the way for the impeachment process to be revived, despite Ramaphosa's subsequent challenge to the panel's conclusions.
The High Court's decision to suspend parliamentary committee work gives President Ramaphosa breathing space as he prepares for his September court case against the panel's report. His lawyers argued that proceeding with the inquiry could inflict irreparable reputational damage before a ruling on his challenge is made. This development comes at a delicate time in South African politics, where Ramaphosa's ANC party now governs in coalition following the 2024 election.