South African opposition leader and president of the Radical Economic Freedom Fighters Party, Julius Malema, has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down over allegations of corruption and money laundering levelled against him.
Ramaphosa has been the subject of an investigation after a former South African intelligence chief, Arthur Fraser, filed charges accusing him of kidnapping, bribery and theft after robbers attacked his Phala Phala Farm and stole $4m which he failed to report to the police.
Though Ramaphosa has denied the allegations saying the amount stolen was largely exaggerated and that he has never stolen any money anywhere, Malema, who addressed journalists on Tuesday, insisted that Ramaphosa had “failed to prove to South Africans that he is a worthy president” and as such, must step down.
“Fellow South Africans, we gave Cyril Ramaphosa a chance to prove himself, he has dismally failed. We will treat him the same way we have treated Zuma.
“He must leave the office with immediate effect because he has not respected his oath of office.” Malema said in the address.
Ramaphosa who had been dogged by political infighting within the ruling ANC, has accepted to appear before party’s Integrity Commission over the burglary scandal next week.
Since the previous week, the 69-year-old Ramaphosa has been enmeshed in the scandal with Fraser, an ally of former President Jacob Zuma, accusing him of “complicity in buying the silence of burglars who stumbled on large sums of money at one of his properties.”
In the case which began in 2020, according to the complaint filed by Fraser last week, stated that robbers had allegedly broken into Ramaphosa’s farm in the northeast of the country where they found the $4 million in cash hidden in furniture.
Fraser also accused Ramaphosa of concealing the theft from police and the tax authorities, alleging that the president had “paid” the burglars “for their silence”.
Fraser also said he had provided the police with “photos, bank accounts, names and videos”, indicting Ramaphosa of obstruction of justice and organising for the suspects to be kidnapped, interrogated on his property and paid off.