EFF demands court action on President Ramaphosa Phala Phala farm scandal ruling

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) marched to the Constitutional Court on Friday, demanding  immediate release of a long-delayed judgment on President Cyril Ramaphosa alleged misconduct linked to a 2020 theft of U.S. dollars at his private game farm.

The EFF, clad in its signature red berets, rallied at  Mary Fitzgerald Square before proceeding to Constitutional Court to demand accountability withholding its ruling for over a year — four times longer than legal guidelines recommend.

The party handed a memorandum detailing claims that Ramaphosa violated anti-corruption laws and constitutional duties by concealing the theft of undeclared foreign currency stashed in furniture at his Phala Phala farm.

The document alleged a cover-up involving Ramaphosa security team, unauthorised cross-border operations in Namibia, and failures to report the funds to tax and financial authorities.

It also condemned Parliament 2022 rejection of an independent panel findings of preliminary evidence against the President, which the EFF argues was enabled by his African National Congress (ANC)  parliamentary majority.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya has previously cited case backlogs for delays but denied political interference.

The EFF, which filed its challenge with the African Transformation Movement in 2024, warned further postponements risk entrenching Presidential immunity and eroding public trust in courts.

EFF leader Julius Malema personally delivered the memorandum to court officials, vowing continued pressure until the judgment is released.

Ramaphosa, who denies wrongdoing and claims the money came from legitimate livestock sales, faces mounting political scrutiny as opposition groups frame the case as a test of South Africa’s democratic safeguards.