Investigative Committee on impeachment of South African President, Ramaphosa, submits report to National Assembly

A special committee set up to establish the probability of impeaching President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa on allegations cover up of a crime, submitted report of its findings to South African Legislature on Wednesday.

The three-person team, led by a former chief justice, submitted its report to Speaker of the South African National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in a televised ceremony in Cape Town.

Mapisa-Nqakula receiving the two-volume report, said, “The handover of the report… marks one of the indicative milestones in South Africa’s maturing constitutional democracy.”

The three-man committee was set up in September to investigate the 2020 alleged cover-up of a theft at Ramaphosa’s farmhouse — a scandal that has tarnished the president’s reputation and overshadowed his bid for re-election at leader of the ruling party, African National Congress (ANC).

Mapisa-Nqakula said that the committee was mandated to ascertain whether there was sufficient evidence to show that the president committed a serious violation of the constitution or the law or a serious misconduct.

The speaker said the report will be sent within 24 hours to lawmakers, who will then examine the findings in a one-day sitting on December 6.

The resolution of the lawmakers would determine going into voting to remove the president, which would require a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, dominated by the ANC.

Ramaphosa denied any wrongdoing.