South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is fighting back against mounting political pressure after a court ruling reopened calls for his impeachment over the controversial Phala Phala cash theft scandal.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will challenge in court a report that could trigger impeachment proceedings against him over the alleged mishandling of a cash theft incident at his private game farm.

Cbinews.tv reports that the controversy follows a Constitutional Court ruling which found that parliament acted improperly when it voted against launching an impeachment inquiry into the Phala Phala scandal in 2022.

The scandal centres around the theft of large sums of foreign currency reportedly hidden inside furniture at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. An independent panel earlier concluded there was prima facie evidence suggesting the president may have committed serious misconduct in the way the matter was handled.

Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the money was generated from the legitimate sale of buffalo from his farming business.

South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that the allegations deserve deeper parliamentary scrutiny through a formal impeachment process rather than being dismissed outright.

In response, Ramaphosa said he would seek a judicial review to overturn the report, arguing that its findings relied heavily on hearsay evidence.

Should the impeachment process proceed, opposition parties are expected to use the report as a basis to intensify efforts to remove the president from office.

Political analyst Professor Richard Calland believes Ramaphosa is likely to survive any parliamentary vote due to the balance of political power, but noted that the legal challenge could be aimed at preventing a damaging public impeachment hearing that may tarnish his reputation and legacy.

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