South African president to face impeachment probe over ‘Farmgate’ scandal

Impeachment committee to hold first meeting next week as President Cyril Ramaphosa challenges findings in court.

South Africa’s parliament is set to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Cyril Ramaphosa over the “Farmgate” scandal, marking a new phase in a political crisis that continues to shadow his presidency.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) party said on Thursday that the committee tasked with examining the allegations will hold its first meeting on Monday, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which revived the process.

Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing in the scandal, which centres on the theft of large sums of cash hidden inside furniture at his private farm in 2020. The case has raised persistent questions over the origin of the money and why it was concealed.

“The good thing is that Parliament seems to be moving forward,” said DA parliamentary leader George Michalakis.

The 31-member committee will begin by electing a chairperson. “The DA’s strong opinion is that it shouldn’t be someone from the ANC,” Michalakis added, signalling the party’s push to limit the influence of Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC).

The DA, the second-largest party in South Africa’s coalition government with the ANC, has maintained pressure on the president and said it will hold him accountable if wrongdoing is confirmed.

Ramaphosa has responded by challenging the process in court. He filed a legal application against an independent panel report that found preliminary evidence of misconduct, a move that could delay the inquiry.

He has also threatened to seek an urgent court order to halt proceedings if Parliament continues while his legal challenge is pending.

The ANC, which holds about 40 percent of seats in the National Assembly, has publicly backed Ramaphosa and retains enough support to block any impeachment vote, which requires a two-thirds majority.

However, the party controls only nine of the 31 seats on the committee, leaving room for opposition parties to shape the investigation’s direction as it begins its work.