South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that he will not resign after the country’s top court revived impeachment proceedings linked to a long-running cash scandal at his private farm.
In a televised address on Monday, Ramaphosa said stepping down would “pre-empt a process defined by the constitution” and give credence to what he called a flawed parliamentary panel report. He also said he would seek a judicial review of the report “on an expeditious basis.”
“Nothing in the Constitutional Court judgment compels me to resign my office,” Ramaphosa said, adding that the court had made no finding on whether he committed misconduct.
The case stems from the alleged theft of $580,000 in foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala wildlife farm in Limpopo in February 2020. Former State Security Agency chief Arthur Fraser, who made the scandal public in 2022, claimed the theft involved more than $4 million and accused Ramaphosa of covering it up. Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing, saying the money came from the sale of buffaloes.
An independent panel appointed by parliament found in 2022 that there may have been grounds for impeachment, including questions over whether Ramaphosa had violated the constitution or acted inconsistently with his office. The National Assembly later voted not to proceed with an impeachment inquiry.
Last Friday, the Constitutional Court ruled that the National Assembly’s move was unconstitutional. It directed lawmakers to review the decision.
Ramaphosa has since faced calls from opposition parties, including the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters and the African Transformation Movement, to step down and face impeachment proceedings.
On Monday, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza said parliament would begin the process of establishing an impeachment committee in line with the Constitutional Court’s ruling.
Ramaphosa first came to power in 2018, promising to tackle corruption. His party, the African National Congress (ANC), lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and now shares power through a Government of National Unity.
The president said on Monday that he respects the court’s ruling and “will continue to cooperate with all institutions that are mandated to deal with all these matters.”
“I have consistently maintained that I have not stolen public money, committed any crime, nor violated my oath of office,” he insisted.