South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing an imminent threat of impeachment over the Farmgate scandal, reported The Africa News.
A three-member independent parliamentary panel, led by an ex-chief justice submitted its recommendation report to National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The panel had been set up in September to inquire if Ramaphosa should be impeached after millions of dollars in cash were found at his Phala Phala farm in the north-east of the country back in 2020.
In June, it emerged that an estimated $4 million was robbed at the farm, raising questions about how the billionaire president acquired the cash and whether he declared it. The panel sought to find any preliminary evidence of wrongdoing by the president.
While the South African president has confirmed that a robbery occurred, he said the cash was from proceeds from the sales of game. He has denied breaking the law or any regulations relating to his office.
The National Assembly is scheduled to meet next week to debate the report and decide whether to convene the removal hearing. Mr. Ramaphosa will then face a hearing in Parliament that could lead to his removal if two-thirds of the lawmakers vote against him.
As per the South African Constitution, impeaching a president requires a two-thirds majority. Mr. Ramaphosa would be the first president to face an impeachment hearing since the process for the removal of a president was set out in the Constitution adopted in 1996.
The South African president faces two other investigations, one by the national prosecutor’s office and another by the public protector, a corruption watchdog.
The alleged cover-up has tarnished the president’s reputation and overshadowed his bid for re-election at the helm of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party.
In about two weeks, his party, the African National Congress, will convene its national conference, and he is expected to face a fierce battle for a second term as its leader in the 2024 national polls.
