Ramaphosa Rejects Calls to Resign as Court Revives Phala Phala Process

(MENAFN) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that he will not step down despite renewed political pressure following the revival of impeachment proceedings linked to a long-running financial scandal involving his private farm.

In a televised address, Ramaphosa argued that resigning would interfere with constitutionally mandated procedures and would effectively validate what he described as a flawed parliamentary process. He also indicated that he intends to seek an urgent judicial review of the relevant findings.

The case is connected to allegations involving the theft of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in 2020. The incident was later made public by a former intelligence official, who alleged that the amounts involved were significantly higher than initially reported and suggested attempts to conceal the matter. Ramaphosa has consistently denied wrongdoing, stating that the funds originated from legitimate livestock sales.

A parliamentary panel previously found that there may be grounds for impeachment, raising questions about possible constitutional breaches. However, the National Assembly initially voted against proceeding with a formal impeachment inquiry.

More recently, the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that parliament’s earlier decision not to pursue the matter was unconstitutional, ordering lawmakers to reconsider the process.

Following the ruling, opposition parties renewed their calls for Ramaphosa to resign and face impeachment proceedings. Parliament is now expected to establish an impeachment committee to reassess the allegations in line with the court’s directive.

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