SAfrica president in argues cash-in-sofa scandal
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying to clear his name by appealing a panel report that found he may have violated the constitution over a scandal in which tons of money were stolen from a sofa on his farm.
In court documents filed on Tuesday and seen by Reuters, Ramaphosa argued that the 2022 report was “seriously flawed” and should be set aside because it misunderstood the panel’s authority and relied on hearsay evidence.
Ramaphosa said he would seek an urgent court order to halt any impeachment proceedings if parliament took action while his legal challenge was still pending.
Ramaphosa, who has been in office since 2018, has always denied any wrongdoing in what local media have dubbed “Farmgate”.
The theft raised questions about how Ramaphosa obtained more than $800,000 in cash he said was stolen from his farm in 2020, whether it was properly declared and why it was hidden in furniture rather than deposited in a bank.
Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman before becoming president, said the money came from the sale of buffalo and a central bank investigation found he had not breached exchange control regulations.
The scandal has been a major embarrassment for the President, who came to power on promises to fight corruption and clean up the image of his African National Congress party.
In 2022, ANC MPs blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa, but earlier this month the constitutional court said the parliamentary vote was invalid and the allegations should be investigated further.
Ramaphosa, 73, said he respected the decision and opposed calls from some opponents to resign.
His presidential term will end in 2029, and political analysts say his chances of survival are high if the impeachment process results in a vote in parliament.
A vote to remove Ramaphosa as president requires a two-thirds majority to pass, and the ANC holds nearly 40 per cent of the seats in the National Assembly, although it may have lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 election. The ANC reiterated its support for Ramaphosa, increasing the likelihood of him remaining in power.
