South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, overcame the risk of being suspended from Parliament yesterday (Tuesday), which decided in a vote not to punish him, despite the conflict of interest scandal and the furore over the attempted cover-up of the theft of a huge amount of cash hidden in a sofa on his farm, which he had failed to declare.
A resolution to suspend him and put him on trial was defeated (148 votes for, 214 against, two abstentions) after a stormy debate, a development taken for granted after his party, the African National Congress (ANC), finally took the decision to support him.
The ANC, which has ruled the country for over a quarter of a century since the end of the apartheid regime, has an absolute majority of seats in Parliament.
A week ago, President Ramaphosa petitioned South Africa's Constitutional Court, asking it to examine, declare illegal and order it to disregard a parliamentary committee report containing serious allegations against him.
The main finding of that report was that the head of state violated the constitution and anti-corruption laws when he attempted to conceal the theft of nearly 600.000 US dollars in cash from his own property.
The revelation of the case caused a furore and many questions.
Mr. Ramaphosa, who acquired property while still a businessman before becoming head of state, attempted to conceal the theft because it was "dirty money," his critics argue. His spokesman Vincent Maguena has denied the allegations against the president; he claims the parliamentary report was full of "errors."
The vote that decided the immediate future of the president, who remains popular despite suspicions of tax evasion and money laundering, was held three days before a crucial ANC meeting.
The ruling party elects its next leader later this week - hence, potentially, the next head of state if it prevails in the 2024 elections. Mr. Ramaphosa is a candidate, running against a former health minister in his government.
Although Cyril Ramaphosa overcame the immediate threat, the party may be the one to foot the bill for the scandal. Amid divisions and repeated corruption cases, especially during Jacob Zuma's time in the presidency (2009-2018) and thereafter, the party has seen its poll numbers plummet for the past ten years.
Last year - for the first time in its history - its share of the vote fell below 50% in local elections. Analysts warn that the ANC runs a magnified risk of losing power in 2024, which would take South Africa into uncharted waters.
Source: CNA
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