South African opposition parties are pushing for renewed impeachment steps against President Cyril Ramaphosa after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that parliament acted unlawfully when it blocked a 2022 impeachment process linked to the Phala Phala cash scandal, according to a BBC report.

The ruling gives fresh momentum to the Economic Freedom Fighters and the African Transformation Movement, which challenged parliament’s earlier decision not to proceed with an inquiry. EFF leader Julius Malema has called on Ramaphosa to resign, arguing that the president should focus on the impeachment process rather than continue in office.

The case stems from the 2020 theft of $580,000 from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo. An independent panel later found that he may have had a case to answer, but parliament voted in 2022 against establishing an impeachment committee.

It was separately reported that the court’s decision could send the matter back into a formal parliamentary process. Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing and has said the money came from the sale of buffalo.

The political stakes are higher than in 2022 because the African National Congress no longer governs with a parliamentary majority after South Africa’s 2024 election. That makes any renewed impeachment process more uncertain than the previous vote, when ANC lawmakers were able to block the move.

Ramaphosa’s office said he respects the judgment and remains committed to the constitution, judicial independence and the rule of law. The ANC also said the ruling showed the importance of allowing institutions to function independently.

South African outlet Daily Maverick reported that the Constitutional Court ordered parliament to consider the matter through the appropriate impeachment mechanism. The next step now rests with parliament, where opposition parties are expected to press for a clearer timetable.

Source: BBC report