ConCourt revives Phala Phala impeachment process as EFF claims victory

The Constitutional Court has ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully and unconstitutionally when it voted against adopting the Section 89 independent panel report into the Phala Phala scandal, effectively reviving the possibility of an impeachment inquiry against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The judgment follows an application brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), which argued that the National Assembly failed in its constitutional duty by rejecting the panel’s findings without properly processing the report.

Although the independent panel did not find Ramaphosa guilty of any offence, it concluded that there was sufficient prima facie evidence for Parliament to consider whether the president may have violated the Constitution and his oath of office in relation to the Phala Phala scandal.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya delivered the judgment on Friday morning.

Outside court, EFF supporters erupted into song and celebrations as party leader, Julius Malema, described the ruling as a victory for them.

Malema said the judgment confirms that Ramaphosa must now face an impeachment inquiry in Parliament and argued that the process should uncover the truth behind the theft of foreign currency at the president’s Phala Phala farm.

He further intensified his criticism of the president, claiming Ramaphosa was “headed to prison” following the ruling, and called on him to step down.

Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) says it does not view the Constitutional Court judgment as a political blow to the governing party.

ANC spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu, said the ruling should instead be viewed as part of South Africa’s democratic and constitutional processes.

Speaking outside court, Bhengu said the ANC remains committed to respecting the rule of law and the authority of the judiciary.

Bhengu added that the matter would now be discussed internally within the ANC, including Parliament’s next steps regarding the Section 89 process.

Meanwhile, Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni, says the ruling carries major legal and political implications because it paves the way for the establishment of an impeachment committee in Parliament.

Mnguni noted that while the ANC no longer holds a dominant majority in Parliament, opposition parties may still struggle to secure the two-thirds majority required to remove Ramaphosa from office.

The Constitutional Court judgment now places the matter back in Parliament’s hands, where lawmakers will have to determine how to proceed with the Section 89 impeachment process linked to the Phala Phala scandal

The Constitutional Court ruling now places the matter back in Parliament’s hands, where lawmakers will have to determine how to proceed with the Section 89 impeachment process linked to the Phala Phala scandal.

There have been widespread reactions to the judgment, with many saying the President must now face the consequences.

This victory belongs to the People of South Africa ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/leew5v2WqQ

— Vuyo Zungula MP 🇿🇦 (@ZungulaVuyo) May 8, 2026

“ActionSA celebrates the ruling of the Constitutional Court handed down today as a victory for the South African people.

Now is the time for parties in the GNU, who have gone silent on Phala Phala since they have entered government, to demonstrate whether they will act for South…

— ActionSA (@Action4SA) May 8, 2026

🚨 The DA will participate fully and constructively in the Phala Phala impeachment committee.

“Those who hold the highest offices in the land must be held to the highest standards of honesty, transparency and accountability.” – Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA Leader

Read more:… pic.twitter.com/zODe8ZxLib

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) May 8, 2026

The law is supreme, and Parliament is not a shield for the President.

Following today’s Constitutional Court judgment on the Phala Phala matter, @SongezoZibi MP, RISE Mzansi National Leader, has made it clear: a parliamentary majority can never be used to bypass accountability… pic.twitter.com/PoiX5g3JXk

— RISE Mzansi (@Rise_Mzansi) May 8, 2026

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe