JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa looked relaxed and shared a joke with journalists as he made a brief appearance Sunday at a meeting of the African National Congress party’s national working committee, which is discussing his political fate.
Ramaphosa’s future hangs in
the balance as he faces calls from within the ANC and from opposition parties
to step down from his position amid a scandal involving the president’s animal
farm.
Ramaphosa was recused from
Sunday’s meeting of the ruling ANC, which came days after an independent
parliamentary panel issued
a report that suggested he may have broken anti-corruption laws.
The report follows a criminal
complaint laid by the country’s former head of intelligence, Arthur Fraser, who
has accused Ramaphosa of money laundering related to the theft of a large sum
of cash from his farm in 2020.
The president has denied
any wrongdoing in the matter. Addressing journalists briefly on
Sunday, he noted it was ANC tradition that someone should be recused from a
meeting that deals with issues that affect them personally.
However, Ramaphosa confirmed he planned to attend a Monday meeting of ANC’s national executive committee, its highest decision-making body within conferences. The executive committee is tasked with making a final decision on Ramaphosa’s future in the party.
“Tomorrow I will attend the
national executive committee meeting as well, that is how everything will flow.
After that it is up to the NEC, to which I am accountable, to make a decision,”
Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Vincent
Magwenya did not respond to questions Sunday regarding reports that Ramaphosa
had no intention of resigning from his position and planned to challenge the
findings of the report.
South African lawmakers are
expected to debate the independent report on Tuesday and then vote on whether
further action should be taken against the president, including whether to
proceed with impeachment proceedings.
The report questioned his
explanation that the money was from the sale of buffaloes to a Sudanese
businessman, asking why the animals remained at the farm more than two years
later.
It also said Ramaphosa put
himself into a situation of conflict of interest, saying the evidence presented
to it “establishes that the president may be guilty of a serious violation of
certain sections of the constitution.”
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