South Africa’s ANC executive closes ranks around Ramaphosa over “Farmgate” scandal, SABC reports

JOHANNESBURG, May 14 (Reuters) – A meeting of the National Executive Committee of South Africa’s African National Congress on Wednesday resolved to close ranks around President Cyril Ramaphosa over his “Farmgate” scandal, public broadcaster SABC reported.

• The meeting supported Ramaphosa’s decision to launch a legal challenge against an independent panel report that found evidence he committed misconduct, SABC politics reporter Samkele Maseko wrote in a post on X.

• Ramaphosa earlier this week faced down calls to resign over the scandal, in which thieves stole bundles of cash stuffed in a sofa on Ramaphosa’s ranch in 2020.

• The ANC blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa over Farmgate in 2022 but the constitutional court revived the process last week.

• The ANC’s National Executive Committee, a decision-making body that guides members, met on Wednesday to discuss how to handle the scandal.

• At the start of the meeting, a top ANC official threw his weight behind Ramaphosa, telling reporters that calls for Ramaphosa to step down were opportunistic and there was nothing in the constitutional court judgment that said Ramaphosa must resign.

• Ramaphosa, head of state since 2018, has denied wrongdoing over Farmgate.

• Around 0800 GMT ANC officials will brief the media on the outcomes of the National Executive Committee meeting.

(Reporting by Anathi Madubela and Sfundo Parakozov;Editing by Alexander Winning)