South African opposition leader Julius Malema has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign after the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had violated the constitution by blocking moves to impeach him in 2022.

The judgement follows a legal challenge by Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and others, and could result in fresh impeachment proceedings. Ramaphosa's office said he respects the judgement.

In 2022, an independent panel said Ramaphosa may have a case to answer after burglars stole $580,000 (£430,000) in cash, hidden in a sofa, from his rural home.

The theft led to allegations that he had not accounted for where the cash had come from. The president denied wrongdoing.

But impeachment proceedings were blocked four years ago in a parliamentary vote. At that time Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) had a majority in parliament, but since the 2024 general election the ANC has been governing in a coalition.

Following the judgement, Ramaphosa's office said he "reaffirms his commitment to the Constitution, the independence of the Judiciary and the rule of law".

The statement said the president had been "consistent in providing his full assistance" to all enquiries into the 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."

Speaking to reporters outside the court in Johannesburg earlier, Malema said Ramaphosa should resign and "concentrate on this impeachment process because it has got serious implications on him as an individual".

"You cannot serve the two - one is going to suffer," he explained, referring to being president and preparing for impeachment.

The EFF took the case to the country's highest court alongside the African Transformation Movement in 2024.

Malema said members of Ramaphosa's ANC will impeach him because "the evidence will be before their eyes".

Geordin Hill-Lewis, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, the second largest party in the governing coalition, said politicians must "uphold the rule of law", and that parliament's impeachment committee "must now do its work properly, rationally, fairly and constitutionally".

This saga - dubbed "Farmgate" by local media - began in 2020, after the $580,000 had allegedly been stolen from Phala Phala, Ramaphosa's farm in the northern Limpopo province.

Two years later, an independent panel found evidence that the president may have violated his oath of office, but in a debate that focused on its conclusions, parliament voted 214 to 148 against setting up an impeachment committee.

South Africa has strict rules on holding foreign currency, which say that it must be deposited with an authorised dealer such as a bank with 30 days. At the time, Ramaphosa said the cash was from selling a buffalo.

Three people are on trial for the alleged theft.

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