JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Top officials in South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) were gathering on Friday to decide whether President Cyril Ramaphosa should stay on after an inquiry found evidence of misconduct over cash hidden at his farm.
Separately, the ANC chairman, Gwede Mantashe, in an interview with local television station Newzroom Afrika on Friday denied that Ramaphosa was considering resigning.
Ramaphosa’s future as South African president was hanging in balance on Thursday, as his office said he was exploring options over the panel report that found preliminary evidence he may have committed misconduct.
Mantashe told Newzroom Afrika that Ramaphosa was giving space for the report to be interrogated and tested.
“My own view is that it would be premature for the President to just step down without a due process,” said Mantashe, a powerful political figure who also serves as energy and mines minister in Ramaphosa’s cabinet.
(Reporting by Kopano Gumbi, Tim Cocks and Alexander Winning; Editing by James Macharia Chege)
