President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will not resign following last week’s Constitutional Court judgment on the Section 89 impeachment process linked to the 2020 theft at his Phala Phala farm.
Addressing the nation at the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Monday evening, the President said nothing in the Constitutional Court ruling compels him to step down from office, adding that resigning would undermine constitutional processes and efforts to renew the country’s institutions.
“I, therefore, respectfully want to make it clear that I will not resign. To do so would be to preempt a process defined by the Constitution. To do so would be to give credence to a panel report that unfortunately has grave flaws.
“To do so would be to abdicate the responsibility that I assumed when I became President of the Republic. To resign now would be to give in to those who seek to reverse the renewal of our society, the rebuilding of our institutions and the prosecution of corruption,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President said he remains committed to serving South Africans and completing the mandate entrusted to him.
“I fully intend to continue serving the people of South Africa and to advance their interests. There is still much work to be done,” he said.
The Constitutional Court on Friday ruled that certain aspects of the National Assembly rules governing the removal of a President from office are inconsistent with the Constitution.
The matter stems from a report compiled by an independent panel appointed by the National Assembly in September 2022 to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations relating to the theft at the President’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
The panel found that information before it disclosed, prima facie, that the President may have committed serious misconduct and violated the Constitution.
However, in December 2022, the National Assembly voted against referring the report to an impeachment committee.
The Constitutional Court has now set aside that vote and ordered that the panel’s report be referred to Parliament’s Impeachment Committee.
President Ramaphosa said he accepts and respects the judgment.
“I reiterate my firm commitment to the Constitution, the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law,” he said on Monday.
The President announced that he will seek a judicial review of the independent panel’s report, saying he believes it contains “grave flaws”.
“On the basis of advice from my legal team and as envisaged by the Constitutional Court when it said ‘unless and until the report is set aside on review’, I have therefore decided to proceed to take the independent panel’s report on review on an expeditious basis.
“I do so not out of disrespect for Parliament or its processes, but to affirm the need for such findings to be correct in law and in fact, especially where Parliament’s work would be based on and informed by a report I believe is flawed,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President maintained that he has not committed any wrongdoing and reiterated that he has cooperated with all investigations into the matter.
“Since a criminal complaint was laid against me in June 2022, I have consistently maintained that I have not stolen public money, committed any crime nor violated my oath of office.
“From the beginning, I said that I would cooperate with all institutions that are mandated to deal with these types of matters,” the President said.
President Ramaphosa stressed that the Constitutional Court judgment did not make any findings regarding his conduct.
“The Constitutional Court made no finding of any kind regarding my alleged conduct. The Court made no finding on whether there was prima facie evidence of misconduct, nor if the alleged conduct, if established, justifies impeachment and the removal of the President,” the President said.
He said resigning now would derail efforts aimed at rebuilding institutions, fighting corruption and advancing economic recovery.
“To resign now would be to give in to those who seek to reverse the renewal of our society, the rebuilding of our institutions and the prosecution of corruption,” he said.
The President reflected on progress made since taking office eight years ago, including implementing the recommendations of the State Capture Commission, recovering stolen funds and intensifying the fight against organised crime and corruption.
“We are implementing the recommendations of the State Capture Commission and those responsible for wrongdoing against our people are being dealt with.
“Through the Madlanga Commission process, we are confronting corruption and criminality in our law enforcement and security services,” he said.
President Ramaphosa said despite ongoing challenges facing the country, he remains hopeful about South Africa’s future.
“Guided by the rule of law and the principle of accountability, I intend to fulfil and complete the mandate that you, the people, have given me,” he said.
The President vowed that he will continue to do everything within his means to advance the rebuilding of the economy, the restoration of institutions and the renewal of the society.
He further emphasised that he would do everything in his power to strengthen the institutions that are responsible for safeguarding the country’s democracy and upholding the rule of law so that they may never again be abused, co-opted or repurposed to serve criminal interests.
“I will remain in your service and will continue to act in your interests and in the interests of our diverse and remarkable nation.
“I am confident that together as a nation we will strive, we will progress and we will overcome our challenges and difficulties. I remain here and I am not resigning.
