ANC Secretary-General Backs President Ramaphosa Amid Revived Farmgate Impeachment Process

On 13 May 2026, African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula publicly reaffirmed support for President Cyril Ramaphosa as the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) prepared to discuss the revived impeachment process linked to the “Farmgate” scandal. The scandal involves the theft of cash bundles, reportedly totalling $580,000, that were hidden in a sofa on Ramaphosa’s private farm.

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The cash was discovered missing in 2022, prompting the ANC to block impeachment proceedings that year. In early May 2026, the Constitutional Court revived the impeachment process, overturning the 2022 block. The court’s judgment does not compel the president to resign, but it reopened the constitutional pathway for removal. The ANC currently holds roughly 40 % of the National Assembly seats, while an impeachment vote requires a two-thirds majority. Ramaphosa’s term runs until 2029, and he will not attend the upcoming NEC meeting so senior party members can debate without his presence. The episode has been described as a major embarrassment for Ramaphosa, whose 2018 election platform emphasized anti-corruption and restoring the ANC’s reputation.

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Mbalula characterised calls for Ramaphosa’s resignation as “opportunistic” and stressed that the Constitutional Court’s ruling contains no clause mandating resignation. He said the NEC will examine the full judgment without external pressure and will decide the party’s stance independently. Mbalula also noted that Ramaphosa will abstain from the NEC session to allow unrestricted discussion among senior officials.

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Opposition parties and several civil-society organisations have renewed demands for Ramaphosa’s removal, arguing that the undisclosed cash raises serious integrity concerns. Political analysts caution that, despite the revived legal process, the impeachment vote remains uncertain because the ANC’s parliamentary share, though diminished, still provides a substantial bloc that could block a two-thirds majority.

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The Constitutional Court explicitly states there is no legal requirement for resignation, yet political debate persists over whether voluntary stepping aside is appropriate. No definitive timetable for a parliamentary vote has been disclosed, leaving the ultimate outcome ambiguous.

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> “In terms of the (court) judgment, there's nothing that says he (Ramaphosa) must actually resign as the president of the country,” — Fikile Mbalula, ANC Secretary-General

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The ANC’s NEC is slated to convene soon to formulate a party position on the judgment. If the NEC endorses proceeding, the issue will move to the National Assembly, where a two-thirds majority is required for impeachment. Political analysts note that the impeachment process remains distant and that Ramaphosa is likely to survive a parliamentary vote.

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