Ramaphosa under impeachment pressure - Here’s the reason

• President Cyril Ramaphosa is under political pressure as opposition and critics push forward impeachment-related discussions tied to the “Farmgate” allegations.

• The controversy centers on claims of undeclared foreign currency found at his private farm, raising questions about transparency and governance.

• The case has sparked wider political debate in South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa filed a court application on Friday to try to ​stop a parliamentary impeachment process from starting to ‌probe allegations related to his "Farmgate" scandal, according to Reuters. 

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However President Cyril Ramaphosa’s impeachment troubles are not in any way linked or tied to the recent xenophobic attacks and deportations involving foreign nationals.

His legal and political troubles stem from a separate controversy known as the Phala Phala, or Farmgate scandal, which has haunted his presidency for years.

The scandal dates back to February 2020, when a large sum of foreign currency, reportedly about $580,000, was stolen from Ramaphosa’s private game farm, Phala Phala, located in Limpopo Province. 

What turned the theft into a national scandal was not only the robbery itself, but serious questions about the origin of the money and how it was handled.

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Reports indicated the cash had allegedly been hidden inside furniture at the farm, including a sofa. Questions were now being asked as to why such a large amount of money was being kept at a private residence instead of being deposited in a bank. 

Concerns were also raised over whether the theft had been properly reported to law enforcement and tax authorities.

Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He has maintained that the money came from the legitimate sale of buffalo to a Sudanese businessman and insisted that no laws were broken.

The issue exploded politically in 2022 after former South African spy chief Arthur Fraser formally accused Ramaphosa of concealing the theft, possible money laundering, abuse of state resources, and orchestrating a cover-up. The allegations triggered intense political pressure and calls for impeachment from opposition parties.

Although South Africa’s Parliament voted against impeachment in 2022 after members of Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) rallied behind him, the matter did not end there.

In May 2026, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament had acted unlawfully in blocking the impeachment process. That ruling reopened the case and effectively revived efforts to investigate whether the president has a case to answer under the country’s constitutional impeachment provisions.

That ruling is what has triggered Ramaphosa’s latest legal move.

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The South African president is now seeking an urgent court order to stop Parliament from proceeding with the impeachment inquiry. Ramaphosa wants the courts to halt the process while legal disputes surrounding the case remain unresolved.

This is why Ramaphosa’s impeachment fight is fundamentally about the Farmgate scandal, not the current migrant crisis.

The mix-up could likely stem from the timing. South Africa is simultaneously battling growing anger over immigration, unemployment, crime, and pressure on public services. In recent weeks, anti-immigrant protests have intensified, leading to fresh fears of xenophobic violence.

Countries including Ghana and Nigeria have recently taken steps to assist citizens affected by the unrest, with repatriation efforts making headlines across the continent.

While Ramaphosa has faced criticism over his handling of migration and public frustration, these issues are separate from the legal case threatening his presidency.