CAPE TOWN: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared on Monday that he will not resign from his position, even as an impeachment committee is established to reinvestigate allegations of serious misconduct. The allegations stem from the president's alleged involvement in hiding the theft of over half a million dollars in cash that was stashed in a sofa at his game ranch.
Ramaphosa's Response to Impeachment Committee
In a televised address to the nation, Ramaphosa stated that he would legally challenge a parliamentary report which allegedly found credible evidence of wrongdoing on his part. This legal challenge is expected to significantly delay any potential impeachment proceedings against him. He emphasized that resigning would preempt a process defined by the Constitution and would give credence to a panel report that he described as having grave flaws.
Ramaphosa's announcement came just hours after the South African Parliament confirmed the establishment of the impeachment committee, in compliance with a recent decision by the country's highest court. The Constitutional Court ruled last week that a 2022 parliamentary vote, which blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa over the scandal, was unconstitutional. At that time, Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) party held a majority in Parliament, and the vote was held despite an independent report finding evidence of wrongdoing.
Background of the Scandal
The scandal first emerged in 2022 when a former head of South Africa's state security agency accused the president of money laundering and other offenses related to the theft. It was revealed that the theft occurred in 2020 and had been kept secret. Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the money, in U.S. dollars, came from the legitimate sale of buffalo on his ranch. However, questions have been raised about the source of the money and why it was hidden in a sofa.
The independent report from 2022 noted legitimate doubt over the source of the money and suggested that the amount might have been more than the $580,000 that Ramaphosa claimed. The report also stated that Ramaphosa used the head of his presidential protection unit and others to surreptitiously try to track down the suspects.
Political Implications
Ramaphosa's decision to stay in office has drawn calls from various quarters, particularly opposition parties, for him to step down while the processes unfold. Impeaching the leader of Africa's top economy would require the support of at least two-thirds of lawmakers in the 400-member Parliament, according to the Constitution. The multi-party impeachment committee must conduct an investigation before any impeachment vote can be held, but no time frame has been provided for this process.
In the landmark 2024 election, the ANC lost its parliamentary majority and is now the largest party in a coalition government of 10 parties. Ramaphosa could still survive an impeachment vote if his party's lawmakers back him. The scandal has significantly damaged the reputation of a president who took office in 2018 on an anti-corruption ticket, following a decade of government graft scandals under former leader Jacob Zuma.
