Johannesburg, Dec 5 (AFP\/APP):South Africa’s ruling ANC party rallied around embattled President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, on the eve of a parliamentary vote that could lead to his impeachment.<\/p>\n
In an eventful day, Ramaphosa, who has been under heavy political pressure, mounted an 11th-hour legal bid to have a damning report on an alleged cover-up of a cash robbery at his farm annulled.<\/p>\n
Top African National Congress leaders who had met to discuss his future decided to stand by the president and oppose any motion seeking to remove him.<\/p>\n
“Should parliament proceed tomorrow, the ANC will not support that vote,” ANC interim secretary-general Paul Mashatile told reporters after day-long talks.<\/p>\n
Parliament is scheduled on Tuesday to debate the report submitted last week by an independent panel which found that Ramaphosa “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct.<\/p>\n
The parliament sitting is a step that could lead to a vote on forcing Ramaphosa from office.<\/p>\n
For him to be forced out, two-thirds of the assembly must vote in favour of a removal motion. The ANC has 230 out of 400 seats.<\/p>\n
In papers filed to the Constitutional Court and made available to the media by his spokesman, the president petitioned to have the report “reviewed, declared unlawful and set aside”.<\/p>\n
The move helped consolidate party support for Ramaphosa, as Mashatile cited it as the reason for the decision by the ANC’s highest body — the National Executive Committee (NEC) — to back Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n
The president has insisted he would not resign after the special panel’s report, but his political future remains uncertain. <\/p>\n
On Monday he briefly attended an NEC meeting which discussed the crisis.<\/p>\n
He left shortly afterwards, smiling and waving to the media, having recused himself from the meeting, in line with standard practice for a person under discussion. <\/p>\n
Forged by Nelson Mandela into the weapon that led the fight against apartheid, the ANC has been deeply divided by the affair, but after a pendulum swing a majority now seems be backing the president.<\/p>\n
A small group of demonstrators, some supporting the president, others calling for him to go, gathered outside the meeting in the Johannesburg area of Nasrec.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Johannesburg, Dec 5 (AFP\/APP):South Africa’s ruling ANC party rallied around embattled President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, on the eve of a parliamentary vote that could lead to his impeachment. In an eventful day, Ramaphosa, who has been under heavy political pressure, mounted an 11th-hour legal […]<\/p>\n
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