South Africa halts impeachment against President Cyril Ramaphosa over stolen cash inquiry
A South African court has ordered a temporary halt to impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the 'Phala-Phala' cash theft scandal. The President is currently challenging the validity of a parliamentary report that suggested he had a case to answer.
Why it matters
The ruling impacts the political stability of South Africa and tests the country's constitutional mechanisms for presidential accountability.
A South African court ordered a halt to impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal involving over $580 000 of cash stolen from his farm in 2020.
The Western Cape High Court judgment on Friday does not stop the impeachment committee from doing other preparatory work for the pending proceedings.
Lawmakers had started impeachment proceedings in June after a damning parliamentary report concluded the President had a case to answer regarding the handling of the theft, including why such large amounts of cash were kept in a sofa at the farm.
The inquiry also includes questions over the source of the money, whether the foreign currency was legally declared and why he did not immediately report the theft to the police.
Mr. Ramaphosa is challenging the report in court and has applied for the impeachment proceedings to be halted until the process to review the report is complete.
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