The ANC has rejected speculation that President Cyril Ramaphosa could be recalled or forced to resign following last week’s Constitutional Court ruling directing Parliament to begin impeachment proceedings against him.
The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) met in Cape Town this week to consider the judgment and discuss its implications.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said there had been no discussions within the party’s senior leadership structures about removing Ramaphosa from office.
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Mbalula said, despite the impeachment process, Ramaphosa would continue to lead both the ANC and the country until the party’s next elective conference in December 2027.
He attributed reports that the president was preparing to step down to events in 2022, when Ramaphosa had reportedly considered resigning after Parliament’s Section 89 independent panel found that he may have had a case to answer regarding the 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala game farm.
ANC Backs Ramaphosa’s Court Review Application
Mbalula said Ramaphosa briefed the ANC’s top seven leaders ahead of his national address on Monday evening, during which he announced his decision to challenge the report through a court review.
“We didn’t convince the President to stay or not; he applied his mind based on the law. He briefed us. We reflected on it, and we believe it is sound.”
The ANC said it fully supports Ramaphosa’s decision to seek a judicial review and does not believe the legal process will delay Parliament’s impeachment proceedings.
Fikile Mbalula Says NEC Was Unanimous In Supporting Ramaphosa
According to Mbalula, there was complete agreement among NEC members on the matter.
“The NEC was unanimous. There was no dissenting view in the NEC. We were unanimous because there was nothing to dissent.”
He added that the impeachment process would not distract the party from its preparations for the November elections.
