South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, also the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), delivers a speech after a meeting of the ANC's National Executive Committee in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Shiraaz Mohamed/Xinhua)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will legally challenge a report that has paved the way for parliament to consider impeachment proceedings against him over the theft of large sums of cash from his private farm.
A Constitutional Court ruling last week found that parliament acted unconstitutionally when it voted against establishing an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa regarding the Phala Phala report in 2022.
"I remain here and am not resigning," Ramaphosa said on Monday, ending days of speculation over whether he would step down.
The controversy stems from the so-called Phala Phala scandal, in which thousands of dollars were stolen from furniture at his game farm.
An independent panel found there was prima facie evidence Ramaphosa may have committed serious misconduct in the way he handled the matter.
He has denied wrongdoing and said the money came from the legitimate sale of buffalo from his farming business.
South Africa's Constitutional Court last week ruled the matter should be examined further through an impeachment process in parliament, rather than be dismissed.
Ramaphosa said he will now ask the courts to review and set aside the report, which he argues relied on hearsay evidence.
If the process goes ahead, the report would form the basis of opposition efforts to remove him from office.
Political analyst Professor Richard Calland said the president would likely survive a parliamentary vote, but added the legal challenge may be aimed at avoiding a damaging impeachment hearing altogether – which would hurt his reputation and legacy.
Leading South African opposition figure Julius Malema has called on Ramaphosa to resign after the Constitutional Court ruled parliament had violated the constitution by blocking moves to impeach him in 2022.
The judgement follows a legal challenge by Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and others, and could result in fresh impeachment proceedings. Ramaphosa's office said he respects the judgement.
In 2022, an independent panel said he may have a case to answer after burglars stole $580,000 (£430,000) in cash, hidden in a sofa, from his rural home.
The theft led to allegations that he had not accounted for where the cash had come from. The president denied wrongdoing.
But impeachment proceedings were blocked four years ago in a parliamentary vote. At that time Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) had a majority in parliament, but since the 2024 general election the ANC has been governing in a coalition.
Following the judgement, Ramaphosa's office said he "reaffirms his commitment to the Constitution, the independence of the Judiciary and the rule of law".
The statement said the president had been "consistent in providing his full assistance" to all enquiries into the matter.
"President Ramaphosa maintains that no person is above the law and that any allegations should be subjected to due process without fear, favour or prejudice."
The ANC also released a statement to similar effect, adding on X that the judgement shows "the importance of allowing institutions to function independently" within South Africa's constitutional democracy.
Speaking to reporters outside the court in Johannesburg earlier, Malema said Ramaphosa should resign and "concentrate on this impeachment process because it has got serious implications on him as an individual".
"You cannot serve the two - one is going to suffer," he explained, referring to being president and preparing for impeachment.
The EFF took the case to the country's highest court alongside the African Transformation Movement in 2024.
Malema, who his facing his own difficulties as he appeals against a sentence for the the illegal possession of a gun and firing it in public, said members of Ramaphosa's ANC will impeach him because "the evidence will be before their eyes".
His party has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, asking for a "clear indication, within the next 48 hours, of specific steps" she intends to take given the judgement, South Africa's News24 website reported.
