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South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has expressed full support for President Cyril Ramaphosa amid the ongoing controversy known as the “Farmgate” scandal.
A senior party official said the decision was reached during a meeting of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which convened this week to deliberate on the matter involving cash allegedly stolen from Ramaphosa’s farm in 2020.
ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, told reporters in Johannesburg as reported by Reuters that the committee reaffirmed its backing of the president and did not consider discussions about his resignation or removal as party leader.
The scandal centres on allegations that bundles of foreign currency, reportedly amounting to about $580,000, were stolen from furniture at Ramaphosa’s ranch, raising questions about the origin of the money and whether it was properly declared.
Read more: South Africa’s Ramaphosa refuses to step down after impeachment call
Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing, while maintaining that the funds were stolen from his property. His current presidential term runs until 2029.
The issue resurfaced after South Africa’s Constitutional Court recently revived impeachment proceedings, prompting renewed political scrutiny.
Despite pressure from opposition groups, analysts say Ramaphosa is likely to survive any impeachment vote, which would require a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
The next step in the process is the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the allegations, as directed by the Constitutional Court.
Ramaphosa has also indicated that he will challenge a report by an independent panel that found preliminary evidence suggesting possible misconduct related to the matter.
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