Thabo Mbeki Urges ANC to Distance Itself From Phala Phala Scandal, South Africans Left Divided

• Former State President Thabo Mbeki has shared his thoughts on the Constitutional Court's ruling regarding the Phala Phala saga
• The African National Congress (ANC) member insisted that the matter involved a business, and not the political party
• South Africans took to social media to weigh in on Mbeki's comments, sharing mixed reactions to his stance on the matter

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.

WESTERN CAPE – South Africans have been left divided following Thabo Mbeki’s comments about the Phala Phala matter.

The former State president weighed in on the theft of thousands of US dollars from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm in Limpopo in 2020. The African National Congress (ANC) member also weighed in on the president’s decision to take the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the National Assembly’s handling of the independent report into the Phala Phala saga.

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The Section 89 Independent Panel report found prima facie evidence that President Ramaphosa may have violated his oath of office by covering up the theft of foreign currency at his farm in 2010.

Mbeki cautions ANC against being preoccupied with Phala Phala

During an interview with SABC News on 24 May 2026, Mbeki insisted that the Phala Phala matter had nothing to do with the ANC. The former president also cautioned the party against being preoccupied with it, saying it involved an individual businessman.

“I think the speaker is actually correct in saying, okay, Parliamentarians, let’s constitute this committee, and this committee must do its work. The President must conduct himself as a businessman, as he has said himself: ‘I’m a businessman. I breed cattle. I breed wildlife. I sell. I buy.’

“It’s fine. That’s his business as a businessman. It has nothing to do with the ANC. I don’t know why the ANC gets preoccupied with it. It’s got nothing to do with us. It’s of a businessman who’s doing his thing,” Mbeki stated.

He also welcomed the ruling made by the ConCourt, which paved the way for impeachment proceedings to continue, while also emphasising that he supported Ramaphosa’s decision to challenge the matter in court.

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Other stories about reactions to the ConCourt ruling

Briefly News has covered several articles about the aftermath of the ruling, as several politicians weighed in on the judgment.

• Julius Malema welcomed the ConCourt’s ruling and suggested that Ramaphosa resign before he was impeached.
• Mahlengi Bhengu said that the African National Congress was committed to the rule of law following the ruling.
• The Democratic Alliance said that the president must be held accountable after the ConCourt’s decision.
• Gayton McKenzie insisted that the Patriotic Alliance would not vote to impeach President Ramaphosa.
• Herman Mashaba called the Phala Phala saga a serious embarrassment to the nation.

South Africans divided by Mbeki’s comments

Social media users weighed in on Mbeki’s comments about the matter, sharing mixed reactions to it. Some agreed with it, while others argued that Ramaphosa was the president of the ANC and thus the party was dragged into the matter.

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Keo Direl Direl asked:

“The owner of Phala Phala is the President of the ANC, now what?”

Thibos stated:

“But we know that those dollars were going to be used to fund the ANC. And that's exactly why this matter is relevant to the party.”

Velocity Meme said:

“Ramaphosa must drag the ANC down with him. Let's not separate him from the ANC.”

Arone Malebane noted:

“He is right. But the person involved is the ANC leader, and he can't be replaced like Zuma and others. Removing Ramaphosa is like removing the US from Israel. Impossible. It will happen on its own.”

Agrippa Nkhumba added:

“He's totally true. Phala Phala is a personal issue, not a group, organisation, or party issue. So, there's no way the ANC should get involved in a private issue, just because the person involved is their party leader.”

Cecil Kock noted:

“An injury to one is an injury to all.”

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Morongoa Thobejane said:

“Unfortunately, Ramaphosa remains the president of both the country and the ANC at all material times. So, all his actions will affect his party.”

ANC backs Cyril Ramaphosa over Phala Phala decision

In another article, the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) met to discuss the Constitutional Court's recent ruling on Phala Phala.

Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa was not present at the meeting, as he was the subject of the discussions that were taking place.

South Africans took to social media to share mixed reactions to the NEC's resolution that the party stood behind the president's decision.

Source: Briefly News