By Akani Nkuna
EFF leader Julius Malema on Wednesday accused the Constitutional Court of being in “shambles” over what he described as an unjustified delay in delivering judgment on the Phala Phala matter involving President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The case relates to allegations that Ramaphosa failed to disclose more than US$500,000 found at his Phala Phala farm, raising questions of possible money laundering and fraud.
Malema said the prolonged delay has eroded public confidence in the country’s apex court.
“The Constitutional Court is in crisis and you are downplaying that thing,” Malema told the media.
“Where is the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, where are all these NGOs and political parties to exert pressure on this matter?”
“When the Constitutional Court gets into crisis, it must be a concern of everyone. That is the apex court. Without it, we are nothing. Even lower courts will not act. This puts the Constitutional Court’s credibility in question, and we are seeking legal advice on whether a lower court can compel the Constitutional Court to release the Phala Phala judgment.”
Malema was speaking at the EFF’s headquarters in Johannesburg following the party’s second plenum of its third National People’s Assembly, held over the weekend at Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg.
He outlined the key resolutions and political positions emerging from the gathering.
He said the EFF was aggrieved by the delay, arguing that it had led to perceptions that the court was shielding Ramaphosa for political reasons.
As a result, the party has begun organising monthly pickets outside the Constitutional Court to intensify pressure for the release of the judgment.
Malema called on civil society organisations and political parties to speak out, claiming judicial independence was under threat and that the judiciary appeared biased in favour of the ANC.
He added that the EFF would continue to pursue Ramaphosa’s impeachment should the judgment be delivered after the president’s term ends.
“It has been more than 13 months since the matter was heard. This cannot be normal,” Malema said.
“South Africa cannot continue as if things are normal when the highest court takes more than a year to pronounce on the law.”
He also criticised Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, saying she had failed to live up to expectations.
Malema claimed her conduct was disappointing and alleged there was a lack of consensus among Constitutional Court justices on the matter.
“We are disappointed by her performance. It is a shame, and it undermines the struggle of women,” he said.
“We fought for a woman to lead, and she should, through her actions, demonstrate to the country and the world what women’s leadership represents.”
Turning to international affairs, Malema said the EFF plenum welcomed South Africa’s stance in support of the Palestinian people, describing it as necessary amid what he called growing global political, economic and military instability driven by the United States.
He further called for a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted partly in the US, citing safety concerns and what he described as America’s foreign policy conduct.
“The USA is not safe for anyone to go there,” Malema said.
“South Africa should be issuing a letter calling on its citizens to return. We are calling for a boycott of the World Cup in America.”
He linked the call to the war in Palestine, developments in Venezuela and Greenland, and what he described as the undermining of international law.
“Any conscious South African would say we cannot associate ourselves with this kind of behaviour,” he added.
INSIDE POLITICS