SA Court Rules Phala Phala Vote Unconstitutional

South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that Parliament's 2022 decision to reject an independent panel's report on President Cyril Ramaphosa's handling of a theft at his Phala Phala farm was unconstitutional, ordering the National Assembly to refer the matter to an impeachment committee.

The judgment, delivered by Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, favored a legal challenge brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM). It declared the National Assembly's December 2022 vote, which rejected the panel's findings by 214 to 148, irrational and inconsistent with the Constitution. The court mandated that the Section 89 panel's report be sent to a committee for further proceedings.

The scandal originated in February 2020, when intruders stole approximately $580,000 in undeclared foreign currency from a sofa at Ramaphosa's game farm in Limpopo province. Ramaphosa has stated the cash came from the sale of a buffalo. South African regulations require foreign currency to be deposited with an authorized dealer within 30 days. The panel, chaired by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo and including retired Judge Thokozile Masipa and...