A devastating assessment by a panel of legal experts about allegations that President Cyril Ramaphosa covered up the theft of $4 million (£3.3 million) in cash from his farm in 2020 has prompted uncomfortable questions for the South African president.
Some of his explanations were deemed “improbable” by the panel, which was led by an ex-chief judge.
Critics assert that Mr. Ramaphosa has a case to answer to not only parliament but to all South Africans.
This scandal has the potential to cost him his job, judging by the vehement reaction of the opposition parties, some of whom have demanded his resignation immediately.
In a 138-page statement to the panel, President Ramaphosa denied there was anything improper about the money stolen from his private farm, claiming it was from the sale of five hundred and eighty thousand dollars’ worth of buffalo to a Sudanese individual, Mustafa Mohamed Ibrahim Hazim, in late 2019.
Mr. Hazim has not, however, made a public appearance, and little is known about him.
The panel questioned why the invoice submitted to them lacked identifying information on the individual. There was no business address or ID number listed, only his name.
Mr. Ramaphosa said, “I sincerely submit that all of the ‘charges’ I’ve been asked to address are without substance” and that many of the allegations were based on “hearsay.” He requested that no further action be taken on the topic.
However, it persists, and the president is under pressure to resign or face impeachment procedures.
It is difficult to overlook the irony of the president’s remarks and his current predicament.
This is the man whose political image and elevation to the presidency was built on battling corruption, which plagued both the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and the country as a whole during his predecessor, President Jacob Zuma.
Demand early elections
How should we interpret Mr. Ramphosa’s handling of “Farmgate”?
According to party sources, his party is heatedly debating how the president should respond to the report.
Others, probably from an opposing ANC faction, want him out of the way to avert more damage to the party, they claim.
Officially, the president’s office has stated that he will respond to the report after completing his review of it.
Mr. Ramaphosa received some grace upon assuming office not only from the general public, but also from business, civil society, and in some aspects, local media.
Under his leadership, he promised a new dawn for South Africa and exhorted the populace to trust that the days of corruption scandals were over. However, that grace is now gone.
According to the country’s chief opposition, the president has been found wanting in this report.
The Democratic Alliance declared that it will use next week’s parliamentary session to introduce a motion calling for early elections, arguing that the serious charges against Mr. Ramaphosa demonstrate that the ANC must be removed from office.
“The report is unambiguous and transparent. President Ramaphosa undoubtedly violated a number of Constitutional articles and must explain for his actions. The impeachment processes pertaining to his actions must continue, and he will have to provide significantly better and more thorough explanations than we have received thus far “According to a party statement,
The three-volume study raises doubts regarding Mr. Ramaphosa’s written contribution.
- Why did the president keep over $580,000 in a sofa?
- Why wasn’t this theft reported to police two years ago?
- Why are the buffalo, which he claims were sold, still on the farm?
According to Mr. Ramaphosa, a lodge manager at the farm initially put the money in a safe, but then moved it to a sofa in a spare bedroom “within my private residence, since he believed no one would break into the president’s house.”
The panel believes that this explanation requires additional examination.
The courts could only recommend that the legislature take action.
If the House of Representatives decides that an impeachment committee should investigate further and if that committee finds the president guilty of severe misbehaviour, an impeachment vote will be initiated.
It will ultimately come down to a vote, as the impeachment resolution requires a two-thirds majority in parliament to pass.
Despite the fact that the ANC has enough members to prevent this from happening, the party is deeply divided. Those opposed to him may view this as an opportunity to join opposition parties in voting for his removal.
We are far from such a vote, but what has already been established in the court of public opinion has been destructive.
“Poor for the ANC”
Local radio stations and social media have been buzzing with contradictory opinions from South Africans; some believe he is being targeted by his political opponents, while others have voiced disappointment and want him to leave office.
Oscar Van Heerden, a political analyst, told Newzroom Africa: “This is a disaster for the ANC.”
“No organisation desires a leader who is subjected to such scrutiny. The ANC must take political issues into account. Is it currently in our best interest to remove our leader? The ANC must make a decision that will serve them well in the 2024 elections.”
At best, this incident calls into doubt Mr. Ramphosa’s moral standing. At worst, it shows a power abuse and possibly a violation of the constitution, which he helped create in the early 1990s.
His party, which has defended its leaders through numerous scandals in the past, is only required to dismiss him if he faces criminal charges, which he does not.
Nonetheless, these developments have placed the seasoned politician and game farmer in a fairly uncomfortable position ahead of this month’s ANC conference, when Mr. Ramaphosa had appeared to be a lock to be re-elected as party leader.
