South Africa to Probe President Ramaphosa over 'Farmgate' Scandal

The Impeachment Proceedings

South Africa's parliament is set to establish an impeachment committee to probe allegations against President Cyril Ramaphosa in the 'Farmgate' scandal. The lower house of parliament said on Monday that its speaker will set up the body to investigate.

The 'Farmgate' Scandal

The scandal centres on the 2020 theft of $4m in foreign cash that was stuffed in a sofa on Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm. Ramaphosa has denied wrongdoing, but the opposition parties have called for his impeachment.

The Legal Battle

The constitutional court on Friday said that parliament's decision to block an inquiry four years ago into the scandal was inconsistent with the constitution. The impeachment committee will review the evidence against Ramaphosa before deciding whether to recommend formal proceedings.

The Impact on Ramaphosa's Presidency

Ramaphosa's African National Congress has called a meeting of its National Executive Committee on Tuesday to discuss what to do about the scandal. Even if the impeachment committee's findings are negative, the president would still likely survive a vote in the lower house of parliament, where a two-thirds majority is required to remove him from office.

The Future Outlook

The impeachment committee is expected to deliberate over the matter for several months. Ramaphosa has said that he will not resign and plans to legally challenge an independent panel's report that found preliminary evidence he had committed misconduct.