By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation tonight at the Union Buildings in Tshwane following the Constitutional Court ruling on the Phala Phala scandal.
This follows Parliament announcement that it will establish an impeachment committee to reinvestigate four-year-old allegations that he committed serious misconduct by hiding the theft of more than half a million dollars in cash, which had been stashed in a sofa at his game ranch.
The Presidency announced this in a statement on Monday afternoon, saying the address was expected at 20:00.
In 2022, the African National Congress (ANC) blocked the impeachment process through a vote in parliament, but the Constitutional Court said on Friday, 08 May 2026 that the vote was invalid and an impeachment committee should be set up to further probe allegations related to the theft.
Ramaphosa, who has been head of state since 2018, has always denied wrongdoing, and said last week that he respected the court’s judgment.
He said the thieves had stolen $580,000 from the sofa on his Phala Phala game farm in 2020, though a former intelligence official Arthur Fraser said the amount stolen was at least $4 million.
The theft raised questions about how Ramaphosa could have acquired so much cash, whether he declared it and why he stuffed it into furniture instead of depositing it at a bank.
Meanwhile African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called an urgent NEC meeting.
The urgent ANC NEC meeting is expected to take place in Cape Town on Tuesday evening.
Fullview learnt the meeting will focus on the court ruling, Parliament’s next steps, and growing calls for Ramaphosa to resign or face impeachment.
Senior ANC leaders have since been locked in meetings with National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to discuss the political and legal implications of the judgment.
ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli and advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi were also part of the discussions.
Ngcukaitobi, who represented the National Assembly (NA) in the Constitutional Court matter, is expected to brief the ANC on legal options available following the ruling.
The speaker said parliament’s rules Subcommittee would urgently review and amend the National Assembly’s rules to align them with the judgment.
This committee will investigate, establish the veracity of the charges against the President and make a recommendation via a report to the National Assembly.
The House then schedules the report for urgent debate and decision.
If the report recommends that the President be removed from office, it will be put to a vote. Two-thirds of members of the National Assembly need to support the motion to have the President removed.