Farmgate Scandal: President Ramaphosa Rejects Calls To Resign

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has refused to resign over the renewed “Farmgate” cash scandal, insisting he will challenge impeachment proceedings in court.

Ramaphosa made the declaration on Monday in a televised address, hours after Parliament announced plans to establish an impeachment committee following an order by South Africa’s Constitutional Court.

“I therefore respectfully want to make it clear that I will not resign,” Ramaphosa said. “To do so would be to preempt a process defined by the Constitution.”

The controversy stems from allegations that Ramaphosa concealed the 2020 theft of about $580,000 from his luxury Phala Phala farm in Limpopo Province.

The money, reportedly proceeds from the sale of buffaloes, was allegedly hidden inside a sofa at the property.

The incident, widely known as the “Farmgate” scandal, sparked accusations that the president failed to properly report the burglary and the foreign currency involved to police and tax authorities.

In 2022, an independent parliamentary panel concluded that Ramaphosa “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct.

However, Parliament, dominated at the time by the ruling African National Congress (ANC), declined to initiate impeachment proceedings.

The matter resurfaced last week after South Africa’s Constitutional Court overturned Parliament’s earlier decision and ordered lawmakers to refer the report to an impeachment committee.

The court ruling followed a complaint filed by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Under South Africa’s constitution, removing a president through impeachment requires the support of at least two-thirds of Parliament’s 400 lawmakers.

The multi-party impeachment committee is expected to investigate the allegations before any vote is held, although Parliament has not announced a timeline for the process.

Ramaphosa’s ANC lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 general election and now governs through a 10-party coalition known as the Government of National Unity.

Despite this, the president could still survive an impeachment vote if ANC lawmakers and coalition allies support him.

(Culled from DW)