South African leader braces to head off impeachment threat
05 December 2022 | 7:47 am
(FILES) In this file photo taken on November 23, 2022 South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, southwest London. – South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will not step down despite a parliamentary report this week into the alleged cover-up of a cash robbery at one of his farms, his spokesman said on December 3, 2022.. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP)
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) will meet Monday to discuss Ramaphosa's fate after a parliamentary panel's report last week said he might have acted illegally in covering up a burglary at his farm.
– Parliamentary scrutiny –
On Monday, the ANC's highest body — the National Executive Committee (NEC) — meets to discuss the matter.
On December 16, he will contest elections for the ANC presidency — a position that also holds the key to staying on as the nation's president.
– 'Flawed' report –
On Saturday Ramaphosa's spokesman said the president would challenge the parliamentary report in court.
A majority is needed to trigger the impeachment procedure — and if it is launched, it would take a two-thirds majority to remove the president from office.
Despite its divisions, the ANC has a comfortable majority in parliament.
"Ultimately the decision on impeachment would be a political one in parliament," said a judicial source who requested anonymity.
US Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump had "survived their impeachment processes because the necessary majorities couldn't be found by their challengers", the source pointed out.
Nor is it even certain that parliament will vote to launch the procedure.
As well as Ramaphosa, some legal experts have outlined flaws in the report.
They argue that without recourse to the ongoing criminal investigation it is based largely on hearsay, Ramaphosa's statements, and the initial complaint lodged by an opponent of the president.
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