South Africa’s Ramaphosa refuses to resign despite scandal

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has firmly rejected mounting calls for his resignation, insisting that nothing in last week’s Constitutional Court judgment compels him to leave office. In a televised national address on Monday, Ramaphosa said: “While there have been calls in some circles that I should resign, nothing in the Constitutional Court’s judgment compels me to resign my office.”

The farm theft scandal

The controversy dates back to 2020, when burglars stole $580,000 in cash hidden in a sofa at Ramaphosa’s rural farm — a sum he did not report to police. Critics accused him of money laundering and demanded to know the source of the funds. Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the money came from “proceeds from the sale of game.” In 2022, an independent panel appointed by the National Assembly found that Ramaphosa may have committed serious misconduct. However, parliament voted against adopting the panel’s report, effectively blocking impeachment proceedings.

Legal manoeuvring ahead

Last Friday, the Constitutional Court declared that parliament’s vote was illegal and that the panel’s recommendations must be referred to an impeachment committee unless the report is overturned on review. Ramaphosa announced he will seek an expedited judicial review of the panel’s findings, arguing the report is “flawed.” He insisted: “I do so not out of disrespect for parliament or its processes but to affirm the need for such findings to be correct in law and in fact.”