Constitutional Court Rules Parliament Must Consider Impeachment Inquiry into Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would not resign after the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had acted unconstitutionally when it voted against establishing an impeachment inquiry based on the Section 89 independent panel’s report into the Phala Phala matter.

Ramaphosa stated he will challenge the panel’s report in court. The report, released in 2022, found prima facie evidence of possible serious misconduct by the president in his handling of the theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo. Ramaphosa has maintained that the money came from the legitimate sale of buffalo from his farming business.

According to the sources, Ramaphosa argues the panel’s findings relied on hearsay evidence and that the process was flawed. He has denied any wrongdoing.

In his weekly newsletter published on 11 May 2026, Ramaphosa called on South Africans to respect and uphold the laws of the country. He addressed recent violent protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals, stating that these “do not represent the views of South Africa’s people nor reflect the government’s policy.”

Ramaphosa said some individuals are assuming functions that only state officials are permitted to perform, including stopping people to check identification and conducting searches of private property. “Such lawlessness will not be tolerated, regardless of who the perpetrators or victims are,” he stated.

He noted that undocumented migration places strain on healthcare, housing and municipal services, particularly in poor communities. Ramaphosa added: “It distorts the labour market.