A South African court has ordered a temporary halt to impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the controversial $580,000 Phala Phala farm cash scandal, pending the outcome of his legal challenge against an earlier investigative report.

The Western Cape High Court ruled on Friday in favour of Ramaphosa, granting his request to suspend the parliamentary impeachment process while the court reviews a November 2022 independent panel report that concluded the president “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct.

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In his ruling, Judge Andre le Grange ordered that Parliament’s impeachment committee must not proceed with public hearings until the judicial review has been concluded.

“Pending the determination by this court of the applicant’s review… respondents are interdicted from proceeding with a public impeachment hearing,” the judge ruled.

The controversy dates back to a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s luxury Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo Province, where thieves allegedly stole $580,000 hidden inside a sofa.

Ramaphosa has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that he reported the break-in to the police and that the money was the legitimate proceeds from the sale of 20 buffaloes.

The complaint was filed by a former South African intelligence chief and one-time ally of former President Jacob Zuma.

The complainant alleged that Ramaphosa concealed the robbery from both police and tax authorities and claimed the amount involved was as much as $4 million.

Despite mounting pressure from opposition parties demanding accountability, Ramaphosa has repeatedly ruled out resigning over the scandal.

Reacting to Friday’s ruling, the South African president reaffirmed his commitment to the country’s constitutional principles and judicial system.

“The President will continue to cooperate with and abide by processes of accountability,” a statement from his office said, adding that he remains committed to respecting the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers.

The impeachment process had initially been rejected by South Africa’s National Assembly, where Ramaphosa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) held a parliamentary majority, effectively blocking impeachment proceedings at the time.

Although prosecutors dropped related charges in 2024, the Constitutional Court overturned Parliament’s earlier decision in May 2026, paving the way for the establishment of a parliamentary impeachment committee.

If the impeachment proceedings eventually resume, Ramaphosa would become the first sitting South African president to face such a process.

The High Court is expected to hear his application seeking to overturn the 2022 independent panel report in September.

Andy Burnham has officially been sworn in as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after meeting King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, marking the beginning of a new chapter in British politics.

Burnham assumed office on Monday after outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally resigned during an audience with the King. Following Starmer’s departure, King Charles III invited Burnham to form a new government, which he accepted.

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The 56-year-old becomes Britain’s sixth prime minister in the past 10 years, taking office amid mounting economic pressures, political uncertainty and a lingering cost-of-living crisis.

In his farewell speech outside 10 Downing Street, Starmer reflected on his two years in office, insisting his government had left Britain in a stronger position.

“I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago,” Starmer said.

“I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved,” he added.

Burnham is expected to use his first address as prime minister to outline his vision for restoring public confidence in government while prioritising economic growth, easing the cost-of-living crisis and devolving more powers to regional communities.

Speaking in an interview with The Times before taking office, Burnham signalled a break from recent policies.

“What we’ve been doing hasn’t been working. That’s the way I see it,” he said.
“I am going to try and do things in a different way.”

The new prime minister inherits a series of pressing challenges, including slow economic growth, rising government borrowing costs, a growing welfare bill and continued irregular migration across the English Channel.

He has also pledged a different approach to public spending, promising greater investment in prevention and long-term economic development.

“A different approach to public spending and to running the economy — more focused on early investment, early intervention, setting people up for success and much less paying for failure,” Burnham said.

As one of his first policy decisions, Burnham scrapped the nationwide digital ID scheme introduced under Starmer’s administration, saying the estimated £1.8 billion earmarked for the project would instead be redirected toward helping families cope with the rising cost of living.

A former Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham previously served as a Member of Parliament from 2001 to 2017 and held ministerial roles under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

He returned to Parliament only weeks ago before emerging as Labour’s new leader following Starmer’s resignation.

Burnham now has less than three years to deliver on his promises before the next general election, expected in 2029, as Labour seeks to fend off growing support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

Addressing supporters after securing the Labour leadership, Burnham described the moment as Labour’s “last chance” to regain the confidence of British voters, insisting that his government has a clear plan to steer the country in a new direction.

A devastating fire has claimed the lives of at least 11 people, including several children, after an orphanage in Algeria’s capital, Algiers, was engulfed in flames in the early hours of Thursday.

The deadly incident occurred in the Mohammadia suburb as Algeria continues to grapple with an intense heatwave that has triggered hundreds of wildfires across the country’s northern regions.

Firefighters responded to the scene before dawn and battled the blaze for hours in an effort to contain the flames.

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A nearby resident, Abdessalam Merrah, recounted the horrifying moments when the fire broke out.

“At around 3 a.m., we heard the fire engines arriving and the children screaming,” he said.
“We helped as much as we could, but unfortunately we were told that 11 people had already died.”

Authorities said the death toll is provisional, while 19 other people were injured in the fire. The cause of the blaze has not yet been established.

Images from the scene showed blackened window frames and heavy fire damage to the orphanage.

A witness said firefighters had to use a chainsaw to cut through metal window bars to gain access to parts of the building during the rescue operation.

Rachid Belhadj, head of the forensic medicine department at Mustapha Bacha Hospital, said several of the victims were burned beyond recognition, making DNA testing necessary to confirm their identities.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune later confirmed that “several children” were among those killed in the tragedy.

National television also broadcast footage of Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visiting survivors receiving treatment at two hospitals in Algiers.

932 Fires Recorded in One Week
The orphanage tragedy comes as Algeria battles a severe heatwave that has fuelled widespread wildfires across the country.

According to the Civil Defence, 932 fires were recorded between July 8 and July 15, with the majority already extinguished while a handful remain active.

The worsening fire crisis has also claimed the life of a municipal worker who died while battling a wildfire in the northern province of Setif earlier this week.

To contain the fires, authorities have deployed more than 19,000 emergency personnel, over 700 fire trucks, six helicopters, and 12 water-bombing aircraft.

Residents have also been evacuated from several affected provinces, including Bejaia, Guelma, Bouira, and Mila, as emergency teams continue to battle the blazes.

Northern Algeria is hit by forest fires almost every summer, with experts pointing to prolonged drought and climate change as major factors behind the worsening outbreaks.

Authorities have also said they suspect some of the fires were deliberately started, with several suspects already taken into custody.