South African president seeks to stop impeachment probe over 'Farmgate' scandal

JOHANNESBURG, June 12 (Reuters) - South ‌African President ​Cyril ​Ramaphosa filed an urgent court application on Friday to try to stop a parliamentary impeachment ‌process from starting to probe allegations related to his "Farmgate" ⁠scandal, court documents showed.

• Ramaphosa wants the high court to first ‌make a decision on ‌a separate application he made to set aside an independent panel's misconduct findings over the scandal, in which ​bundles of cash were stolen from a sofa on his farm in 2020.

• The president said $580,000 in ⁠cash was stolen and it was proceeds from the sale of buffaloes, but ​the episode raised questions about why the money was hidden in furniture and whether he had ​declared it. Ramaphosa has denied ‌wrongdoing.

• South Africa's constitutional court revived impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa last month, finding that a ⁠parliamentary vote to stop the process in 2022 was invalid.

• The high court is due to hear his case against ⁠the misconduct findings from September 2 to 4.

• Ramaphosa, 73, has been ​head of state since 2018 and his second presidential term is due to end in 2029.

• Farmgate has been a major ‌embarrassment for him as he came to power on a pledge to fight corruption and ‌clean up the image of his African National Congress (ANC) ⁠party.

• But political analysts expect ‌him to survive ​if the impeachment process goes to a vote in parliament.

(Reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Alexander ‌Winning)

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