Tuesday, South African legislators will vote on whether to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa based on a report claiming he held undeclared foreign currency on his farm in 2020.
After a devastating parliamentary report stated that Ramaphosa illegally concealed at least $580,000 in cash in a sofa at his Phala Phala game estate, the key vote was held. It was stated that he did not disclose the theft to the police in order to avoid questioning about how he obtained the foreign currency and why he had not declared it.
The allegation has prompted Ramaphosa's opponents, including opposition parties and competitors within his party, the African National Congress, to demand his resignation.
To initiate impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa, lawmakers will require a two-thirds majority, which is improbable given that his ANC party chose last week to stay by him. 230 of the 400 seats in parliament are held by the ANC, meaning the ruling party may veto any attempt to initiate impeachment procedures.
The ANC has stated that its members will reject any efforts to impeach President Ramaphosa and will vote against the approval of the report.
Ramaphosa will also be fighting for his political life over the same week, as he bids to be re-elected as the leader of the ANC at its national conference beginning on Friday in Johannesburg.
The conference will also elect members of the party's top decision-making body, the National Executive Committee.
Ramaphosa must be re-elected as ANC leader in order to run for a second term as president of South Africa in 2024.