South Africa’s ruling party stands by leader despite scandal

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party says it will vote against any attempts to impeach President Cyril Ramaphosa in Parliament on Tuesday. Ramaphosa took legal action on Monday to challenge the parliamentary report that suggested he may have broken anti-corruption laws by having a large sum of dollars at his Phala Phala farm and not reporting its theft. The report recommended that Ramaphosa be impeached. The report was drafted by an independent panel appointed to probe allegations leveled by the country’s former intelligence head, Arthur Fraser, that Ramaphosa tried to cover up the theft of an estimated $4 million from his ranch. Fraser accused Ramaphosa of money laundering and violating the country’s tax and foreign exchange control laws.