JOHANNESBURG, June 12 – Court documents reveal that South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa submitted emergency legal papers on Friday in an attempt to halt parliamentary impeachment proceedings connected to his “Farmgate” controversy.
The president is asking the high court to first rule on a different legal challenge he filed to overturn an independent panel’s misconduct conclusions regarding the scandal, which involved bundles of cash being taken from a sofa at his farm in 2020.
According to the president’s account, $580,000 in cash was taken, and he claims the money came from buffalo sales. However, the incident has sparked concerns about why the funds were concealed in furniture and whether proper declarations were made. Ramaphosa has maintained his innocence.
Last month, South Africa’s constitutional court reinstated impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa, ruling that a parliamentary decision in 2022 to halt the process was not valid.
The high court is scheduled to consider his challenge to the misconduct conclusions from September 2 through 4.
The 73-year-old Ramaphosa has served as head of state since 2018, with his second presidential term scheduled to conclude in 2029.
The Farmgate controversy has created significant political difficulties for him, particularly since he assumed office promising to combat corruption and restore the reputation of his African National Congress (ANC) party.
However, political observers anticipate he will weather the storm if the impeachment matter proceeds to a parliamentary vote.
