Cyril Ramaphosa

Cyril Ramaphosa, who has served as President of South Africa since 2018, is currently facing a major controversy known as the Phala Phala scandal or Farmgate. The scandal centers on a February 2020 break-in at his private game farm in Limpopo, where thieves reportedly stole $580,000 in foreign currency hidden inside a sofa. Allegations include money laundering, violating exchange control laws, failing to report a crime, and using state resources to cover up the incident. Ramaphosa has consistently denied wrongdoing, stating the money came from the legitimate sale of buffalo and that he reported the theft to his head of security. Following an initial 2022 parliamentary move to block an impeachment inquiry, the Constitutional Court ruled in May 2026 that the process was unconstitutional, paving the way for a multi-party impeachment committee to investigate. Ramaphosa maintains he did not commit any crime and has launched a court bid to have the original independent panel report set aside, arguing it relied on hearsay and exceeded its mandate. No criminal charges have been proven against him, and he has been cleared of exchange control violations by the reserve bank. Additional charges of perjury and fraud regarding the incident were filed against him by ActionSA in May 2026.