President Ramaphosa rejects calls to resign as South African Parliament moves toward impeachment probe

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that he would not resign over a cash-theft scandal linked to his private game farm, as parliament moves toward possible impeachment proceedings.

In a televised address, Ramaphosa said he would challenge a parliamentary panel report in court, which found there may be grounds to investigate whether he committed serious misconduct by allegedly concealing the theft of more than half a million dollars in cash hidden in a sofa at his game ranch.

“I therefore want to make it clear that I will not resign. To do so would be to preempt a process defined by the Constitution,” Ramaphosa said.

The announcement came hours after South Africa’s parliament confirmed it would establish an impeachment committee, following a ruling by the Constitutional Court ordering lawmakers to revisit the matter.

The case stems from a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa’s private game farm, where cash linked to the sale of 20 buffalo was stolen.

An independent parliamentary panel in 2022 concluded that Ramaphosa “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct. However, parliament, which was then dominated by the ruling African National Congress, voted against launching impeachment proceedings.

The Constitutional Court ruled last week that the report should instead be referred to an impeachment committee, following a legal challenge by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

Ramaphosa said he had been advised to seek judicial review of the panel’s findings, arguing that the report contained “grave errors of law” and unsupported conclusions.

Any impeachment process would require support from at least two-thirds of lawmakers in South Africa’s 400-member parliament.

The newly formed multi-party committee is expected to conduct its own investigation before any possible impeachment vote.