South Africa: Ramaphosa's Future in Balance Over 'Farmgate' Scandal

Facts

• An independent three-person panel, which was appointed by South Africa's National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in September, submitted a report to parliament on Wednesday claiming that Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa "may be guilty of a serious of certain sections of the constitution."
• This comes after Arthur Fraser, the former head of state security and a political foe of the President, filed a criminal complaint in June alleging that Ramaphosa ordered an off-the-books investigation into the theft of millions of dollars he allegedly stashed at his game farm.
• The panel concluded that Ramaphosa may have violated anti-corruption laws by failing to report corrupt activities, stressing also that the president must explain "the origin of the foreign currency that was stolen..."
• Leader of the opposition party Democratic Alliance, John Steenhuisen, promptly called for impeachment proceedings and early elections, demanding Ramaphosa "offer far better, comprehensive explanations than we have been given so far."
• While it's unlikely that an impeachment process would succeed as the ruling African National Congress (ANC) holds a firm majority, even some ANC members have urged Ramaphosa to resign ahead of a mid-December party meeting to choose its next leader.
• Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya stated on Thursday that Ramaphosa has postponed a scheduled address to the nation because he was still processing the report and consulting all options available to him.

Sources: Al Jazeera, New York Times, CNBC, CNN, Africa, and Times Live.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Mail & Guardian. This report should be the final nail in the coffin for the Ramaphosa administration, which has been facing major administrative and economic challenges. Having campaigned on fighting corruption and returning to ethical governance, the President must step aside now that he faces potential criminal investigations. He's lost the moral authority to govern South Africa.
• Narrative B, as provided by Daily Maverick. These findings have seriously damaged the President's reputation and the ANC — potentially throwing the party into unprecedented chaos and leaving no good alternatives. But while Ramaphosa staying in power could anger voters ahead of the 2024 elections, staying put seems to be the "least-bad" option amid uncertainties about who would replace him.