South Africa’s top court says that parliament failed to comply with its duties in holding President Jacob Zuma accountable over a public funding case.
The was case brought by opposition groups who wanted parliament to be compelled to begin impeachment of Zuma for allegedly using tax-payers money to upgrade his private home, Nkandla.
About $15m (£11.1m) in state money was spent.
Zuma, 75, who denies the allegation and a number of others, is expected to remain president until general elections in 2019.
The ruling said parliament must now set out rules for impeachment proceedings.
Constitutional Court Judge Chris Jafta said: “We conclude that the assembly did not hold the president to account.
“The assembly must put in place a mechanism that could be used for the removal of the president from office.”
The court insisted it could not intervene on how parliament determined the mechanism and that it had no power to order an impeachment
The court ruling was by majority. Dissenting Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said the ruling was a clear case of “judicial overreach”.
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