PRETORIA, May 12 – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rejected calls to resign on Monday after South Africa’s Constitutional Court revived impeachment proceedings tied to the “Farmgate” scandal involving stolen foreign currency hidden at his private ranch.
In a televised address, Ramaphosa said he respected the court’s ruling but insisted there was no legal basis requiring him to step down from office. He pledged to defend himself against allegations linked to the case.
The scandal has weighed heavily on Ramaphosa’s presidency since emerging in 2022, undermining his anti-corruption platform and placing renewed pressure on the governing African National Congress ahead of municipal elections scheduled for November.
Last week, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that parliament acted unlawfully when it blocked impeachment proceedings against the president in 2022, ordering the matter to be reconsidered by an impeachment committee.
The controversy centers on a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm, where thieves reportedly stole large sums of foreign currency hidden inside furniture.
Ramaphosa said about $580,000 was taken and maintained the money came from the sale of buffaloes at the ranch. A former intelligence official, however, alleged the stolen amount exceeded $4 million, intensifying scrutiny over the origin and storage of the cash.
Questions surrounding why such large sums were allegedly kept inside furniture rather than deposited in a bank have fueled political criticism and public debate.
The president, who entered office in 2018 promising to restore credibility to South African institutions after years of corruption scandals, has consistently denied wrongdoing. A central bank investigation previously found he had not violated exchange control regulations.
Political analysts said the ruling arrives at a difficult moment for the ANC, which lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 national election and now governs through a coalition arrangement.
Independent political analyst Daniel Silke said the timing of the revived proceedings was politically damaging for the ANC ahead of local elections. The party has called a special meeting of its National Executive Committee to discuss its response.
Despite mounting pressure, analysts said Ramaphosa would likely survive an impeachment vote if the process advances to parliament, where a two-thirds majority would be required to remove him from office.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s party, uMkhonto weSizwe, has also called for a parliamentary no-confidence vote against Ramaphosa.
Such a motion would require only a simple majority to pass, though analysts believe Ramaphosa would still likely retain support from most ANC lawmakers and coalition partners including the Democratic Alliance.
