The High Court in South Africa has also raised an investigation against the President | Political Affairs

This story involves a large amount of foreign currency that was stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s residence in 2020.

South Africa’s Supreme Court has prepared a way to reopen President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision, saying that parliament’s decision to block the investigation four years ago was unconstitutional.

Ramaphosa avoided prosecution in 2022 his ruling African National Congress (ANC) party used its parliamentary majority to denial an independent team’s decision to investigate the theft of a large sum of money from his farmhouse two years ago. The story, dubbed “Farmgate”, led to accusations that he failed to properly answer where the money hidden in the sofa came from.

On Friday, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court Mandisa Maya said: “The vote of Parliament on December 13 2022…

The court ordered that the report of the independent panel be sent to the disposal committee.

The case was filed by two opposition parties – the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM). The EFF has called on Ramaphosa, who has been in power since 2018, to step down.

Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing saying the money came from the sale of buffalo on his farm.

The impeachment committee must review the evidence against him before deciding whether to approve the action. However, even then, the president would still be able to vote in the lower house of parliament, where a two-thirds majority is needed to remove him from office. Ramaphosa’s ANC retains more than a third of the seats in Parliament, despite losing the majority in 2024.

Criticism of Ramaphosa surfaced in June 2022 when the former head of South Africa’s State Security Agency, Arthur Fraser, accused him of trying to cover up thefts on his farm. Fraser said $4m in foreign currency had been stolen. Ramaphosa denies everything, maintaining that $580,000 was taken.

Since then, the president has repeatedly accused him of trying to cover up the matter in order to avoid explaining why a lot of foreign money is kept in his place and not in the bank.

Following the decision, Ramaphosa’s office said it respects the court’s decision and that no one is above the law.

The impeachment committee is expected to take months before deciding to vote on the investigation.