BRIC Team reports: Now, eight years later, the case of the cash found stuffed in a sofa at his game ranch could be what takes Ramaphosa down.Can the South African president survive? Here is what we know.Supporters of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) carry placards outside South Africa’s Constitutional Court, after the court ruled on whether the parliament failed to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa to account over the ‘Farmgate’ scandal, involving allegations that foreign currency was hidden at his Phala Phala game farm, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on May 8, 2026 [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]What’s the scandal all about?In February 2020, burglars allegedly broke into Ramaphosa’s luxury private ranch, Phala Phala, in Limpopo province, South Africa, and stole $580,000.
The cash was said to have been hidden inside furniture at the farm – hence the “Farmgate” label. Advertisement Ramaphosa has been accused of covering up the theft and keeping private efforts to trace the burglars a secret to avoid an investigation into where the money had come from – and why it was hidden in a sofa.Corruption allegations surfaced when a former head of South Africa’s state security agency walked into a police station in 2022 and accused the president of money laundering in relation to the stolen cash.Later that year, an independent parliamentary committee found that Ramaphosa “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct.
Background
In particular, the panel found he had failed to properly report a theft to police as required under anticorruption laws and “acted in a manner inconsistent with his office”.At the time, the African National Congress (ANC) had a strong majority in parliament – with 230 seats out of 400. No evidence, let alone sufficient evidence, has been presented to prove that I committed any violation, let alone a serious violation of the Constitution or law, or serious misconduct as set out in the Constitution.” Advertisement If the committee does find enough evidence against him, it could direct him to be impeached.It is unclear how long this will take, however.
Key facts
- Now, eight years later, the case of the cash found stuffed in a sofa at his game ranch could be what takes Ramaphosa down.Can the South African president survive?
- The cash was said to have been hidden inside furniture at the farm – hence the “Farmgate” label.
- After this, a specially constituted impeachment committee is established to carry out a detailed investigation into the allegations.
What this means
The speaker of the National Assembly would then refer the motion to an independent panel of legal experts to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed.If this panel decides there is a case against the president, lawmakers must vote on whether to begin impeachment proceedings. After this, a specially constituted impeachment committee is established to carry out a detailed investigation into the allegations. This is separate from the investigation beginning now and could take several months.Once that committee recommends the removal of the president, parliament holds a final vote to impeach the president.
Nelson Mandela was the ANC’s first Black president after apartheid ended in 1994. Advertisement In 2024, the ANC stunningly lost its majority in parliament for the first time following more than three decades in power. “There’s a lot of uncertainty on the part of the other coalition parties that suggests that they would much rather be on the side of caution and go with the devil they know, and preserve the government by keeping Ramaphosa in power.”Despite this, the cash-in-sofa scandal has been damaging, he said.And, under Ramaphosa, the ANC’s popularity has continued to slide.
