South Africa’s parliament on Tuesday rejected a motion that would begin an impeachment process of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is accused of covering up a theft scandal involving his firm in 2020. An independent panel’s report said Ramaphosa might have violated South Africa’s constitution by concealing a burglary at his Phala Phala firm. Ramaphosa denies wrongdoing. After a heated debate, 214 MPs voted against the impeachment motions, 148 voted for it, two abstained. The African National Congress (ANC), Ramaphosa’s party which has led the country since 1994, enjoys a majority in parliament. The theft scandal had put Ramaphosa’s bid for re-election as ANC leader. But Tuesday’s vote boosted his chances for re-election this week. But it was no easy win for Ramaphosa. Four ANC MPs, including former African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, joined the opposition in voting for his failed impeachment. The scandal surfaced in June when a former official accused Ramaphosa of hiding a theft of $4 million in cash at his game firm. South African laws say cash in foreign currency must be deposited with an authorised dealer within 30 days. Ramaphosa admitted that some money, $580,000 and not $4 million, had been stolen from a sofa at the firm, and that it was from a sale of a buffalo. The independent panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had doubts about whether the sale took place.
