EFF supporters march to the Constitutional Court for the Phala Phala ruling.

• ActionSA has said political parties within the government of national unity, who once criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala matter, have become ‘silent’ since they joined the government.
• However, GNU parties have called for respect for the rule of law as impeachment proceedings loom.
• For impeachment proceedings to succeed, there must be a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

Now is the time for parties in the government of national unity (GNU) to show whether they will “act for South Africans or for themselves”, says ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont.

His remarks come as political parties prepare for impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa, following Friday’s Constitutional Court ruling that effectively reinstated the process over his conduct in the Phala Phala robbery at his private Limpopo game farm. Parliament will now have to conduct an impeachment hearing.

ActionSA, an opposition party, has consistently called for Ramaphosa to be held fully accountable for the handling of the robbery on his farm in 2020. Beaumont also pointed to parties that previously called for the president’s resignation, but have since fallen silent after joining the GNU.

The DA had previously been critical of the president’s actions. In 2022, then-party leader John Steenhuisen likened the scandal to the Jacob Zuma era, when the ANC used its majority to fend off accountability.

Now, in 2026, new DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says the party respects the rule of law, the Constitution and the apex court.

“This is a grave moment for Parliament, for the Presidency and for South Africa’s constitutional democracy,” he said.

He added:

“This judgment has implications beyond any one president. It will shape how Parliament holds all future presidents accountable. That is why the DA will approach this process with the seriousness, discipline and constitutional responsibility it demands,” said Hill-Lewis.

The judgment, Hill-Lewis said, drew “a clear line between the DA and the ANC. For too long, the ANC has presided over a political culture in which accountability is delayed, diluted or avoided when it becomes inconvenient”.

The UDM – which holds one deputy minister seat in the GNU – said that, from the outset, the party had maintained that the Phala Phala matter was serious enough to warrant proper scrutiny and an independent investigation.

“Our concern has never been about personalities or political expediency, but rather about protecting the integrity of South Africa’s democratic institutions and ensuring that public confidence in governance is preserved,” the party said.

READ | EFF gives Speaker Thoko Didiza 48 hours to act on Phala Phala judgment

The Patriotic Alliance – which has nine seats in the National Assembly and has become a key supporter of Ramaphosa – said its lawyers were studying the judgment.

“Once our lawyers have advised us, the PA will speak plainly and clearly, as we always do, on what we believe the right next step is for our party and for South Africa. Until then, we ask that the country approach this moment with the calm and seriousness that it requires,” said party spokesperson Steve Motale.

For Ramaphosa to be impeached, a two-thirds majority would be required. This means decisions by parties like the DA – which currently holds 86 seats in the National Assembly – would be key for the country’s future.

In a statement, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said the party welcomed the judgment.

Bhengu said the party respected the court, the Constitution, and Parliament’s oversight role.

She added that the ANC would support National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to ensure that Parliament complies with the judgment.

Bhengu, however, cautioned that the judgment did not find Ramaphosa guilty, nor did it find that he violated the Constitution.

She said:

For now, the judgment is likely to be discussed at the ANC’s national executive committee meeting.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said she wouldn’t comment on EFF leader Julius Malema’s earlier call for the president to resign, saying it was a “political speech”.

The ATM’s leader in Parliament, Vuyo Zungula, said after the ruling: “South Africans are watching, and history will remember those who chose principle over convenience, and those who failed the nation when accountability was most required.”

Zungula is the one who called for the impeachment of Ramaphosa back in December 2022.

READ | FIRST TAKE: Ramaphosa’s nightmare: These are the questions he will now face

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the Presidency had noted the judgment and that the president respected the rule of law and the court’s independence.

“President Ramaphosa has been consistent in providing his full assistance to the various enquiries into this matter.

“President Ramaphosa maintains that no person is above the law and that any allegations should be subjected to due process without fear, favour or prejudice.

“The president calls on all South Africans to respect the Constitutional Court judgment and all judicial institutions.”