The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa is on the brink of becoming the first South African president to face impeachment following a report released on Wednesday, which found evidence that he may have committed serious misconduct and violations of the law in relation to a theft at one of his properties.
An independent panel found evidence that Ramaphosa, who is accused of a cover-up involving millions of dollars in cash, may have engaged in misconduct.
The National Assembly is scheduled to meet next week to debate the report and decide whether the president should face a hearing on whether he should be removed from office. Analysts say it seems likely that the Assembly will choose to proceed.
Ramaphosa would be removed from office if two-thirds of Parliament members vote to do so after a hearing.
In about two weeks, his party, the African National Congress, will convene its national conference, and he is expected to face a fierce battle for a second term as its leader.
Meanwhile, his detractors within the deeply divided party have been pushing for his removal since allegations surfaced in June that he had millions of dollars in U.S. currency stashed at his game farm, and that he had started an off-the-books investigation after the money was stolen.
In a statement released late Wednesday by his office, Ramaphosa reaffirmed his stance that he had done nothing to violate his constitutional oath, and spoke of “an unprecedented and extraordinary moment for South Africa’s constitutional democracy.”
“The conclusions of the panel require careful reading and appropriate consideration in the interest of the stability of government and that of the country,” he said.
