Kathmandu – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has explicitly stated that he will not resign from his post, even as impeachment proceedings loom against him. In a televised address to the nation, he acknowledged that while certain groups are demanding his resignation, he believes many citizens want him to remain in office. He maintained his stance that he will not step down until the constitutional process reaches its conclusion. President Ramaphosa argued that resigning now would imply an admission of guilt regarding the investigative report, which he claims contains significant flaws, and asserted his intent to complete his presidential term.
The controversy centers around a private farm named ‘Phala Phala’, where exotic cattle and buffalo are raised. The scandal began with allegations that approximately $580,000 in cash was stolen from the farm in 2020. The money was reportedly hidden inside a leather sofa. Two years after the incident, Arthur Fraser, the former head of South Africa’s State Security Agency, filed a formal complaint against the President. The complaint alleged that Ramaphosa failed to report the large sum of foreign currency to government authorities and did not register the theft with the police.
Ramaphosa has consistently claimed that the funds were legitimate proceeds from the sale of buffalo to a Sudanese businessman, Mustafa Mohamed Ibrahim Hazim. However, the incident raised serious legal and ethical questions. In response to the growing controversy, the South African Parliament established an independent investigative panel. The panel’s preliminary report suggested that the President may have committed serious violations of the law, which paved the way for potential impeachment proceedings in 2022.
While the South African Reserve Bank and the Public Protector’s office later provided some legal relief by concluding that the buffalo sale process was incomplete—meaning there was no immediate legal obligation to declare the funds—the legal battle has shifted. Recently, South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled that Parliament’s 2022 decision to discard the investigative report was wrong and unconstitutional. The court has ordered that the report be forwarded to a formal impeachment committee for further action.
Following the court’s verdict, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza announced that an impeachment committee will be constituted. The committee is expected to hold public hearings and conduct an in-depth investigation into the President’s role in the Phala Phala case to determine if he should be removed from office.
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