South Africa president faces call to resign after court ruling

Leading South African opposition figure Julius Malema has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign after the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had violated the constitution by blocking moves to impeach him in 2022.

The judgement may result in fresh impeachment proceedings.

The ruling came after a legal challenge by opposition parties, including Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). A panel of legal experts had originally said that Ramaphosa may have a case to answer after burglars stole more than $500,000 in cash, hidden in a sofa, from his rural home.

The theft led to allegations that he had not accounted for where the cash had come from. The president denied wrongdoing.

But impeachment proceedings were blocked four years ago in a parliamentary vote. At that time Ramaphosa's African National Congress had a majority in parliament, but since the 2024 general election the ANC has been governing in a coalition.

Malema welcomed the Constitutional Court judgement, saying Ramaphosa should resign and "concentrate on this impeachment process because it has got serious implications on him as an individual".

"You cannot serve the two - one is going to suffer," he explained, referring to being president and preparing for impeachment.

The EFF took the case to the country's highest court alongside the African Transformation Movement.

Speaking to reporters, Malema said members of Ramaphosa's ANC will impeach him because "the evidence will be before their eyes".

This saga began in 2020, after $580,000 had allegedly been stolen from Phala Phala, Ramaphosa's farm in the northern Limpopo province.

At the time, he said the money was from selling a buffalo.

Three people are on trial for the alleged theft.