The matter centres on the theft of an estimated $4 million said to have been hidden at the President’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.

In 2022, an independent panel appointed by Parliament found that Ramaphosa may have a case to answer regarding possible constitutional violations. However, the National Assembly voted against adopting the panel’s report, prompting the EFF to approach the Constitutional Court to review that decision.

This week, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya placed the EFF’s application on the court roll, more than a year after it was filed. The party says the delay has fuelled suspicions of institutional reluctance to hold the President accountable.

EFF Spokesperson Sinawo Tambo said the judgment is “long overdue” and accused several state institutions of providing inconsistent or evasive explanations regarding the handling of the Phala Phala matter.

“The Constitutional Court is supposed to be the final arbiter, and that’s why we came here a year ago, and it is also proving to be part and parcel of what characterises the cover-up,” Tambo said.

He further accused the SA Reserve Bank, the Office of the Public Protector and the SA Revenue Service of offering “nonsensical explanations” instead of conducting thorough investigations.

“We were told about cattle that were sold but never collected, and all of these institutions seem reluctant to investigate a President who said he was willing to step aside if there was evidence that he loaned that money. So we hope the Constitutional Court will hear our call today,” he said.

The Constitutional Court has not yet indicated when it will deliver its ruling.

–SABC/ChannelAfrica–