A South African court has temporarily halted the parliamentary impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa, granting him interim relief while he challenges the legality of a report linked to the Farmgate scandal.
The Western Cape High Court on Friday issued an interim interdict preventing Parliament's impeachment committee from holding public hearings until the court decides on Ramaphosa's review application.
Judge Andre le Grange ruled that the impeachment proceedings must remain suspended pending the outcome of the legal challenge.
"Pending the determination by this court of the applicant's review … respondents are interdicted from proceeding with a public impeachment hearing," the judge said.
The impeachment process stems from the Farmgate controversy, which emerged after approximately $580,000 in foreign currency hidden inside furniture at Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm was reported stolen in 2020.
Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing, saying the money was proceeds from the sale of buffaloes. He has repeatedly rejected calls to resign over the incident.
The scandal nearly cost him the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) in 2022 and became a political liability ahead of the 2024 general election, in which the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya welcomed the ruling, saying Ramaphosa remained committed to constitutional accountability and respected the independence of the judiciary.
The president is also awaiting the outcome of a separate court challenge against an independent panel's findings that he may have a case to answer over the Farmgate affair.
Despite the legal proceedings, political analysts expect Ramaphosa to remain in office, citing continued support from the ANC, which leads South Africa's coalition government.
