Keypoints:
- ANC leadership reaffirmed support for Ramaphosa
- Parliament preparing impeachment inquiry over Farmgate
- Opposition parties intensify pressure on president
SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has received renewed backing from the ruling African National Congress after the party’s top leadership declared its ‘full and continued support’ for him amid revived impeachment proceedings linked to the long-running Farmgate scandal.
The renewed pressure follows last week’s Constitutional Court ruling that parliament acted improperly when it halted impeachment efforts in 2022. The decision has reopened one of the most politically damaging controversies facing Ramaphosa’s presidency, raising fresh questions about constitutional accountability, coalition stability and the future of the ANC-led government. Africa Briefing previously reported on how the court revived Ramaphosa’s impeachment case after years of legal and political disputes.
ANC closes ranks around president
The ANC’s National Executive Committee met this week to discuss the fallout from the scandal, which centres on the 2020 theft of foreign currency hidden inside furniture at Ramaphosa’s private game farm.
Speaking at a press briefing in Johannesburg on Friday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party leadership remained firmly united behind the president.
‘The National Executive Committee reaffirmed in clear and unambiguous terms its full and continued support for the president,’ Mbalula told reporters.
He added that calls for Ramaphosa to resign were ‘not on the table’ and insisted the ANC still viewed him as central to its electoral strategy ahead of municipal elections scheduled for November.
The party’s support comes at a delicate political moment following the ANC’s weakened electoral position in 2024. Earlier analysis by Africa Briefing examined how the ANC was forced into coalition politics after losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid.
Ramaphosa, who has led South Africa since 2018, has consistently denied wrongdoing over the Farmgate affair. The controversy erupted after burglars allegedly stole about $580,000 in cash concealed in a sofa at his ranch in Limpopo province.
The incident raised questions over the source of the money, whether it had been properly declared to authorities, and why such a large amount of foreign currency was allegedly stored at a private property rather than deposited in a bank.
Opposition parties intensify pressure
Opposition groups have seized on the Constitutional Court decision to renew demands for accountability.
Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, said his party was prepared to challenge Ramaphosa directly during impeachment hearings.
‘If he doesn’t resign, it means he’s fighting. Therefore we’ll have to go and sit in that committee and fight,’ Malema said during a podcast aired on Friday.
The EFF has been among the most aggressive political forces pursuing the Farmgate matter. Africa Briefing previously detailed how the EFF took Ramaphosa to court over the controversy as pressure mounted on the presidency.
Despite the renewed attacks, political analysts believe Ramaphosa remains likely to survive any impeachment vote in parliament.
A successful impeachment motion would require the support of two-thirds of lawmakers in the National Assembly. Although the ANC lost its outright majority in the 2024 election, it still controls roughly 40 percent of parliamentary seats and remains the dominant party within the governing coalition.
Several smaller coalition partners would also need to support impeachment proceedings for any motion to succeed, making the parliamentary arithmetic difficult for opposition parties. South Africa has never removed a sitting president through impeachment, meaning any successful effort against Ramaphosa would mark a historic constitutional turning point.
Investors and business groups are closely monitoring the proceedings amid concerns prolonged political uncertainty could weigh on confidence and economic reform efforts in Africa’s most industrialised economy.
Legal challenge may delay proceedings
Complicating matters further, Ramaphosa is preparing a legal challenge against an earlier independent panel report that found preliminary evidence suggesting he may have violated constitutional obligations linked to the scandal.
That report is expected to form part of the evidence reviewed by parliament’s impeachment committee, raising uncertainty over whether proceedings can continue while the report itself faces judicial scrutiny.
Richard Calland, a public law professor at the University of Cape Town, questioned whether it would be practical to continue with the process before the courts reach a decision.
‘It makes absolutely no sense, legally or politically, to continue with phase two of a two-stage process when phase one is being challenged,’ he said.
The impeachment battle also threatens to deepen tensions within South Africa’s coalition government, which has already faced divisions over land reform and healthcare policy. Africa Briefing recently analysed how coalition strains are intensifying between governing partners.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance said it had requested legal guidance from the speaker of parliament on how Ramaphosa’s court challenge could affect the impeachment process.
Lawmakers are now expected to nominate 31 members to serve on the impeachment committee, with the ANC allocated nine seats because of its parliamentary strength.
Mbalula defended the arrangement, saying: ‘We believe it is fair.’
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