SSouth African President Cyril Ramaphosa has escaped impeachment. A majority of MPs in Cape Town on Tuesday rejected the adoption of a report by a commission of inquiry into the so-called Phala-Phala affair. The report accused Ramaphosa of possible violations of the constitution and his oath of office that “on the face of it” could set the stage for impeachment. Parliament had set up the independent commission.
The affair relates to dollar bills hidden in a sofa at the President’s phala phala game farm that were stolen in 2020. The theft was only made public in the middle of the year by an ally of former President Jacob Zuma. The publication is considered politically motivated, but many questions about the banknotes remain unanswered. Ramaphosa has denied any legal violations and asked the Constitutional Court to review the report. According to him, it was revenue from the sale of buffalo to a Sudanese businessman. Not several million dollars were stolen, as initially claimed, but 580,000 dollars.
The party leadership had backed Ramaphosa last week and asked the ANC MPs to reject the report. Until the end it was uncertain whether everyone would stick to it. Several smaller opposition parties had called for a secret ballot, but the speaker of the parliament refused. A simple majority is required to initiate impeachment proceedings. On Tuesday, 214 MPs voted against, 148 in favor and two abstained.
Next, Ramaphosa’s future political career will be decided at the ANC party convention in a few days. Despite the affair, his re-election as party leader is widely expected. She would pave the way to a second term as president after the 2024 general election. Regardless of the parliamentary vote, his reputation has suffered as a result of the affair. The now 70-year-old politician was once a confidant of Nelson Mandela. When he took office as president in 2018, he promised to take action against corruption.
Meanwhile, Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa said in a television interview in Dubai that he would cooperate with the South African authorities and testify in possible court cases. “I have nothing to hide.” According to Ramaphosa, he paid $580,000 in cash for 20 buffaloes. The money was supposed to be kept in a safe, but the farm manager had concerns because several employees had access to the safe. So he hid the bills under sofa cushions in a little-used bedroom in the President’s private home. Mustafa said in the interview that he didn’t know who owned the farm and buffalo until the fuss about the affair.
