Cyril Ramaphosa has pushed back against growing calls for his resignation following renewed controversy over the long-running “Farmgate” scandal, in which bundles of foreign currency were reportedly stolen from his private ranch.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Ramaphosa said he respected a recent Constitutional Court ruling that revived impeachment proceedings against him but insisted there was no legal basis compelling him to step down.
“While there have been calls in some circles that I should resign, nothing in the Constitutional Court judgment compels me to resign my office,” he said.
The scandal, which first emerged in 2022, involves allegations that large sums of foreign currency were hidden in a sofa at Ramaphosa’s farm and later stolen, triggering political and legal scrutiny.
The controversy has become a major political embarrassment for the South African leader, who rose to power on a platform promising to combat corruption and restore credibility to the ruling party, the African National Congress.
Political analysts say Ramaphosa is likely to continue contesting the allegations, but warn that the timing of the renewed pressure is particularly sensitive ahead of municipal elections scheduled for November.
Independent political analyst Daniel Silke noted that the crisis comes at a difficult moment for the ANC, which is already expected to perform poorly in upcoming polls.
“The timing couldn’t really be worse… from an ANC perspective,” he said.
In response to the court ruling, the ANC has convened a special meeting of its National Executive Committee to deliberate on its political and legal options.
The latest developments add to mounting pressure on Ramaphosa as he seeks to contain political fallout while defending his position and managing internal party tensions ahead of a crucial election period.
