South Africa’s Ramaphosa receives ‘full support’ from his party amid a scandal
A key decision-making body of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) expressed support for President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding the scandal referred to as “Farmgate” by local media, a senior party official stated on Friday.
This week, the ANC’s National Executive Committee convened to deliberate on the management of the scandal involving the theft of bundles of foreign currency concealed within a sofa at Ramaphosa’s ranch six years prior.
The committee reiterated its “full and continued support” for Ramaphosa, as stated by Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula during a press briefing at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg.
Mbalula stated that the committee did not address the issue of recalling Ramaphosa as party leader, and his resignation was “not on the table.”
Ramaphosa confronted demands for his resignation on Monday following the constitutional court’s revival of impeachment proceedings against him last week.
Since 2018, South Africa’s head of state has consistently denied any wrongdoing regarding Farmgate. This situation has sparked inquiries into the source of the $580,000 in cash he claimed was stolen from his farm in 2020, whether it was appropriately declared, and the reasoning behind its concealment in furniture instead of being deposited in a bank.
His current presidential term is set to conclude in 2029, and political analysts suggest that he is likely to remain in office if the impeachment process goes to a vote in parliament.
The subsequent phase in the extensive procedure involves the establishment of a parliamentary impeachment committee, which will delve deeper into the allegations against Ramaphosa, as mandated by the constitutional court.
An impeachment vote necessitates a two-thirds majority for approval. Despite the ANC losing its parliamentary majority in the 2024 election, it retains approximately 40% of the seats in the National Assembly.
Ramaphosa has announced his intention to initiate a legal challenge against an independent panel report that identified preliminary evidence of misconduct related to Farmgate.
