Ramaphosa rejects resignation calls over ranch cash scandal

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa used a televised speech on Monday to push back against demands that he step down. The controversy involves foreign currency that was stolen from a sofa on his ranch.

Ramaphosa said he respects a constitutional court ruling from last week that reopened the possibility of impeachment. But he added that nothing in the judgment forces him to leave office.

The scandal, which local media call “Farmgate,” has troubled Ramaphosa since 2022. He came to power promising to fight corruption and restore the reputation of his party, the African National Congress.

The theft happened in 2020 at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm. Thieves took $580,000 from a sofa, according to the president. A former intelligence official says the real amount was at least $4 million.

The case has raised questions about how Ramaphosa obtained such a large sum of cash, whether he reported it properly, and why he kept it in furniture instead of a bank. Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman before entering politics, says the money came from selling buffaloes. A central bank investigation found he did not break exchange control rules.

Political analyst Daniel Silke said the timing is bad for the ANC, which already expected poor results in the November municipal elections. The party’s National Executive Committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss its next steps.

The ANC blocked impeachment proceedings through a parliamentary vote in 2022. But the Constitutional Court ruled last Friday that the vote was invalid and ordered further investigation into the allegations.

Analysts say Ramaphosa would likely survive an impeachment vote, which needs a two-thirds majority. The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 but still holds about 40 per cent of seats. A no-confidence motion, which requires only a simple majority, is also seen as unlikely to pass.

SOURCE: Reuters