Malema Welcomes ConCourt’s Phala Phala Ruling, Suggests Ramaphosa Resign Before Possible Impeachment

• The Constitutional Court has ruled that the National Assembly's decision regarding Phala Phala was unlawful and unconstitutional
• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema weighed in on the court's decision regarding Cyril Ramaphosa
• The EFF leader also discussed what Members of Parliament (MPs) should do when an impeachment vote takes place

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG – Julius Malema and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have welcomed the Constitutional Court’s ruling regarding the Phala Phala saga.

The ConCourt delivered a landmark judgment on 8 May 2026, ruling that the National Assembly’s decision to reject a report into the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The ConCourt set aside the National Assembly’s ruling, stating that the proceedings towards impeachment must begin. A Section 89 Independent Panel Report found prima facie evidence that the president may have violated his oath of office regarding the cover-up of a robbery at his game farm.

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Malema thinks Ramaphosa should resign

Speaking to the media outside the court in Johannesburg, the Commander-in-Chief (CIC) of the Red Berets suggested that Ramaphosa resign to focus on impeachment proceedings.

“If I were him, I would resign,” he said.

He noted that even if Ramaphosa resigned, he would still need to face impeachment proceedings, saying it would have dire consequences for him. He added that Ramaphosa could therefore not focus on running the country while also preparing for impeachment hearings.

Parliament has to constitute an impeachment committee, which will then probe the matter. A vote will then be taken following that committee's findings about whether Ramaphosa should be impeached.

Choose the Constitution over crime, urges Malema

The EFF leader also called on Members of Parliament to choose the Constitution over crime when impeachment proceedings begin.

In order for Ramaphosa to be impeached, a two-thirds majority vote is needed. Currently, members of the Government of National Unity (GNU) make up 70% of Parliament. The African National Congress (ANC) previously had the majority when Parliament voted against instituting impeachment proceedings against the president.

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Asked about whether he would approach members of the ANC to vote against Ramaphosa this time around, Malema said he would not. He added that now MPs would have to choose between upholding the Constitution and protecting crime.

He added that it was also a test for the Democratic Alliance (DA), which called for Ramaphosa to be held accountable before, but now enjoyed the luxuries of being in the government.

What you need to know about the Phala Phala case

• The NPA announced that it would not prosecute anyone related to the Phala Phala scandal.
• The NPA encouraged parties to make use of the review process if they were unhappy with the decision.
• President Ramaphosa was grilled in Parliament in October 2024 about the Phala Phala saga, but he maintained his innocence.
• Police Minister Senzo Mchunu confirmed that IPID’s report into Phala Phala was marked as top secret.
• ActionSA demanded transparency regarding Phala Phala and wanted access to IPID’s report.
• The MK Party wanted the report to be made public, but citizens wanted all the focus on Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations first.

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IPID blames technical issues for Phala Phala report delay

Briefly News reported that IPID blamed an email issue in June 2025 as the reason why it did not release the Phala Phala report.

Senzo Mchunu noted that the report was marked as top secret by IPID, but ActionSA requested to have it made public.

South Africans were left in disbelief at the excuse conjured up by IPID as to why it couldn't respond to ActionSA's request.

Source: Briefly News