Karabo Ngoepe|Published3 hours agoRamaphosa has a case to answer, but ConCourt to decide if he will

President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to know his fate on Friday when the Constitutional Court delivers its verdict on the matter brought by the EFF. A burglary at the Phala Phala farm in Limpopo has evolved into one of the most consequential constitutional tests of South Africa’s democracy, with the Constitutional Court set to rule on whether Parliamentacted lawfullyin halting an impeachment process against President Cyril Ramaphosa. On Friday, May 8, 2026, the court will hand down its judgment.

Chief Registrar Simoné-Lanique Tjamela confirmed the timing: “Kindly be informed that the judgment in this matter will be handed down at the Constitutional Court on Friday, 08 May 2026 at 10h00.” The ruling comes 521 days after the matter was argued, following a protracted legal and political battle rooted in the February 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm – a story initially broken bySunday Independent. The incident involved the theft of a large sum of foreign currency, reportedly around $580,000, concealed in furniture at the President’s private residence. Ramaphosa has consistently maintained that the money was a payment from a Sudanese businessman for the purchase of 20 buffalo.

However, the Section 89 Independent Panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, foundsignificant gapsin that explanation. The Independent Panel was tasked with determining if sufficient evidence exists to show that Ramaphosa committed a serious violation of the Constitution or the law, or serious misconduct regarding the burglary at his Phala Phala farm. The Panel concluded that the information placed before it discloses prima facie evidence that the President may have committed several serious violations and acts of misconduct.

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Key findings include: The panel noted that the buffaloes remained on the farm long after the alleged transaction and that details of the buyer were not properly recorded. In November 2022, the panel concluded that there was prima facie evidence that the President may havecommitted serious violationsof the Constitution and the law, and recommended that a full impeachment inquiry be initiated. EFF supporters gathered at the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein on November 28, 2025, to demand the release of the Court’s Phala Phala judgment.

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