ANC Executive Backs Ramaphosa Amid Farmgate Scandal

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has unanimously decided to support President Cyril Ramaphosa amidst the ongoing 'Farmgate' scandal. According to reports from the public broadcaster SABC, the NEC meeting held in Johannesburg on Wednesday resolved to close ranks around the President. The committee endorsed Ramaphosa's decision to legally challenge an independent panel's report, which previously found evidence of misconduct related to the theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala ranch in 2020. This development follows renewed pressure for Ramaphosa's resignation after the Constitutional Court revived impeachment proceedings that had been blocked by the ANC in 2022. Senior ANC officials dismissed calls for the President to step down as opportunistic, asserting that the court's judgment did not mandate his resignation. Ramaphosa, who has served as head of state since 2018, continues to deny any wrongdoing. The ANC leadership is scheduled to brief the media on the specific outcomes of the meeting, signaling a unified front against political opponents leveraging the scandal to destabilize the current administration.