By Desmond Nleya
CAPE TOWN- Members of South Africa’s opposition parties staged a walkout during a parliamentary question-and-answer session with President Cyril Ramaphosa, intensifying pressure over allegations linked to the controversial Phala Phala scandal.
The controversy centers on claims that Ramaphosa concealed a 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala wildlife farm, where large sums of foreign currency were allegedly stolen and not properly reported to police and tax authorities. The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
During the heated parliamentary session, lawmakers from the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) raised a point of order, arguing that Parliament should suspend proceedings until the matter is fully addressed. The party also renewed calls for Ramaphosa to resign, demands the president rejected.
The renewed political pressure follows a recent ruling by Constitutional Court of South Africa, which stated that a 2022 independent report into the scandal should have been referred to an impeachment committee for further investigation in line with parliamentary procedures.
Under South Africa’s Constitution, impeaching a sitting president would require the backing of at least two-thirds of the 400-member National Assembly. However, the multi-party impeachment committee must first conduct a formal investigation before any impeachment vote can take place.
Parliament has not yet provided a timeline for the investigation or any possible next steps.
