On Saturday, the South African president’s spokesman Cyril Ramaphosa, for months at the center of a serious scandal for which he is risking impeachment, did he know that Ramaphosa will not resign. The scandal concerns a massive unreported theft on his farm: the president’s declaration on his eventual resignation was eagerly awaited, following the publication in recent days of the conclusions of an independent inquiry commission set up by the South African parliament which shows that Ramaphosa is found guilty of “maladministration”.
Ramaphosa’s spokesman added that the president “will not resign or step aside” on the basis of what he considers an “invalid document”. Currently, no legal proceedings have been initiated against Ramaphosa, but in these days the members of parliament could still decide to carry out an impeachment process, as requested by the oppositions. However, parliament is firmly in the hands of the African National Congress, Ramaphosa’s party: to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to remove the president, the votes of half of his party mates would be needed.
