South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party plans to table a motion in parliament calling for an early election, as President Cyril Ramaphosa grapples with a scandal that has the potential to cost him his job.
The president has been accused of covering up a $4m (£3.3m) theft from his farm in 2020, including kidnapping and bribing the burglars into silence. He denies any wrongdoing.
The country’s parliament is set to examine a report on the scandal and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings next week.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said the country cannot leave it up to the ruling party to “choose the future of our country” – referring to the upcoming ANC conference where Mr Ramaphosa will seek a second term as the leader of the ruling party.
“The party of Nelson Mandela has become a cess pit of corruption, greed and dishonesty from top to bottom,” said Mr Steenhuisen.
The motion for an early election would need a simple majority of 50% plus one of the national assembly to vote for the dissolution of government, which would then trigger an early election, he added.
📣 Ramaphosa's #PhalaPhalaFarmGate confirms that the ANC is rotten from the top to the bottom.
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) December 1, 2022
"The DA calls for an early national election – not one involving delegates at an ANC conference, but one that gives all South Africans the opportunity to determine their future." pic.twitter.com/mXcMviTziv
