South Africa’s Ramaphosa says he won’t resign over farmgate scandal

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he would not resign but would instead contest the panel report on his “farmgate scandal.”

“I will not resign,” he said during a televised address on Monday.

“To do so will be to pre-empt a process designed by the constitution. To do so will give credence to a panel review that, unfortunately, has grave flaws. To do so will be to abdicate the responsibility that I assumed when I became President of the Republic.”

Calls for his resignation intensified after the constitutional court ruled last Friday that the National Assembly’s decision to block impeachment proceedings against him over the scandal was illegal.

The court also ruled that the panel’s report should be tabled in parliament for processing and interrogation by an impeachment committee.

The scandal occurred in 2022, and centres on a large sum in foreign currency hidden in a sofa at his farm property.

The controversy came to light after a former intelligence chief accused Mr Ramaphosa of concealing the theft of $580,000 from his Phala Phala game farm, according to media reports.

However, he maintained the cash was payment for a prized buffalo sold to a Sudanese businessman who allegedly arrived on Christmas Day carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The transaction quickly drew scrutiny. Mr Ramaphosa denied wrongdoing, but an independent panel conducted an investigation and found evidence that he may have committed misconduct.

However, in 2022, the parliament blocked the panel’s report from being referred to an impeachment committee. The ruling African National Party (ANC) had a majority of seats in the parliament at the time,

The court ruling brought the scandal back into the limelight. Since the ruling, Mr Ramaphosa’s political opponents and his biggest critics have called for his resignation.

South Africa’s parliament is set to establish an impeachment committee to investigate the allegations against him.

Al Jazeera reported that the lower house of parliament had already disclosed that its speaker would set up the body to investigate.

Speaking on this, Mr Ramaphosa said he would ask the courts to overturn the panel’s findings.

The president described the findings as flawed and ruled out resignation as an option. He insisted that the panel report relied on hearsay evidence.

“I decided to take it under review. I was advised that the panel report was capable of being reviewed on the misconception of mandates and grave errors of law.

“The National Assembly vote meant the report had no practical or legal consequence. I didn’t proceed with the review but reserved my right to review should circumstances change,” said Ramaphosa.

“To resign now will be to give in to those who seek to reverse the renewal of our society and the rebuilding of our institutions. I fully intend to continue serving the people of South Africa and to advance their interests,” he said.