South African President Cyril Ramaphosa secured a court victory on Friday, putting a temporary stop to parliamentary impeachment proceedings tied to the “Farmgate” scandal.
The Western Cape High Court issued an interim interdict, effectively pausing the impeachment process for now.
The ruling offers Ramaphosa some breathing room as he awaits a separate court decision on a challenge to an independent panel’s findings, which suggested he may have questions to answer over the affair — centred on the theft of cash hidden in furniture at his game ranch in 2020.
Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the $580,000 in question came from the sale of buffaloes. Still, the saga has proven deeply embarrassing, fuelling scrutiny over why such a large sum was stashed in a sofa in the first place.
Despite the ongoing legal drama, analysts widely expect Ramaphosa to hold onto power even if the impeachment process eventually proceeds to a vote. He continues to have the support of his African National Congress, the country’s largest party and head of the coalition government.
While it remains uncertain how all coalition partners would vote should the matter reach that stage, some are likely to side with Ramaphosa — and the ANC alone holds enough seats to block his removal from office.
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