South Africa plans presidential impeachment probe over ‘Farmgate’ scandal
TL;DR
South Africa's parliament will form an impeachment committee to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa over the 'Farmgate' scandal. This follows a constitutional court ruling that reinstated impeachment proceedings against him.
Key points
- South Africa's parliament will establish an impeachment committee
- The committee will investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa
- The investigation is related to the 'Farmgate' scandal
- A constitutional court ruling revived impeachment proceedings
- Evidence will be reviewed over several months
Mentioned in this story
South Africa’s parliament is set to establish an impeachment committee to probe allegations against President Cyril Ramaphosa in the “Farmgate” scandal.
The lower house of parliament said on Monday that its speaker will set up the body to investigate. The move was ordered by the country’s highest court last week as it revived impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa.
The constitutional court on Friday said that parliament’s decision to block an inquiry four years ago into the scandal was inconsistent with the constitution.
The impeachment committee will review the evidence against Ramaphosa regarding the scandal, which centres on a large sum in foreign currency hidden in a sofa at a farm property owned by the president, before deciding whether to recommend formal proceedings.
It is expected to deliberate over the matter for several months.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre, has denied any wrongdoing in the ‘Farmgate’ case [AFP]
The scandal centres on the 2020 theft of $4m in foreign cash that was stuffed in a sofa on Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm.
Amid questions about how the president, who took to power on the promise of fighting corruption, acquired the money, whether he declared it, and why it was hidden in furniture rather than in a bank, Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing.
He said last week that he respected the court’s judgement to revive impeachment proceedings.
However, in an address to the nation on Monday evening, he said that he will not resign, and that he plans to legally challenge an independent panel’s report that found preliminary evidence he had committed misconduct.
Ramaphosa’s African National Congress has called a meeting of its National Executive Committee on Tuesday to discuss what to do about the scandal, a party spokesperson said.
The case against Ramaphosa was brought by two opposition parties – the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the African Transformation Movement (ATM). The EFF has called on the president, who has been in power since 2018, to resign.
However, even if the impeachment committee’s findings are negative, the president would still likely survive a vote in the lower house of parliament, where a two-thirds majority is required to remove him from office.
The ANC retains more than one-third of the seats in the National Assembly, despite losing its majority in 2024.
Q&A
What is the 'Farmgate' scandal involving Cyril Ramaphosa?
The 'Farmgate' scandal involves allegations that President Cyril Ramaphosa concealed a large sum of foreign currency hidden in a sofa at his farm property.
Why did South Africa's constitutional court revive impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa?
The constitutional court ruled that parliament's previous decision to block an inquiry into the scandal was inconsistent with the constitution.
What will the impeachment committee do regarding Ramaphosa's case?
The impeachment committee will review evidence against Ramaphosa related to the 'Farmgate' scandal and decide whether to recommend formal impeachment proceedings.
