A farm break-in in 2020 has become an impeachment process now frozen by court order

Key events in the Phala Phala saga, February 2020 – July 2026

Feb 2020

Break-in at Phala Phala game farm

Thieves broke into President Ramaphosa's Limpopo game farm and stole an undisclosed sum of foreign currency hidden in furniture. The incident was not immediately reported to police, triggering questions about Ramaphosa's conduct and obligations under financial disclosure laws.

2022

Independent panel finds Ramaphosa may have a case to answer

A panel chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo concluded that there was prima facie evidence Ramaphosa may have violated the Constitution and his oath of office in connection with the theft and its concealment.

Dec 2022

National Assembly votes against impeachment referral

Parliament voted to reject referring the Ngcobo panel's report to an impeachment committee, effectively shielding Ramaphosa from a formal Section 89 inquiry — a decision that would later be challenged in court.

Sep 2025

Criminal trial begins after five years of delays

The criminal trial arising from the 2020 break-in finally got under way in September 2025, more than five years after the theft. The proceedings extended the saga beyond the political sphere into the criminal justice system.

Apr 2026

IPID finds theft was mishandled by presidential protection unit

A damning report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate found that members of the Presidential Protection Service had mishandled the original theft, adding a further layer of accountability questions to the saga.

May 2026

Constitutional Court orders impeachment process to proceed

The Constitutional Court overturned the National Assembly's 2022 decision and ordered the Ngcobo report to be referred to an impeachment committee. Parliament established the Section 89 committee, chaired by Makashule Gana, to assess whether Ramaphosa's conduct warranted removal from office.

Jun 2026

Ramaphosa seeks urgent court order to halt impeachment

Ramaphosa approached the Western Cape High Court on an urgent basis to suspend the Section 89 process while he pursued a separate review of the Ngcobo panel report. He argued that public hearings would cause him "irreparable harm", including reputational damage from unventilated allegations.

Jul 2026

High court grants interim interdict blocking public hearings

The Western Cape High Court granted Ramaphosa an interim interdict preventing the Section 89 committee from holding public hearings until his review application is decided — effectively suspending the impeachment process and placing the saga in legal limbo.

A criminal theft at a private game farm has, over six years, drawn in the Constitutional Court, Parliament's impeachment mechanisms, and a presidential protection unit — expanding far beyond its origins. But two courts are now pulling in opposite directions: one ordering the impeachment inquiry forward, the other temporarily freezing it, leaving Ramaphosa's political future unresolved.