South Africa: Opposition Asks President Ramaphosa To Step Down

South Africa’s opposition leader, Julius Malema, has asked that the country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa step down immediately over allegations of corruption

What allegations?
President Ramaphosa has been accused of money laundering following reports of money stolen from his Phala Phala farm. The outspoken opposition leader, Malema, while addressing journalists on Tuesday, said Ramaphosa has failed to prove to South Africans that he is a worthy president.

What’s the president’s link to the stolen money?
He is alleged to be complicit in buying the silence of the burglars who found large sums of money at one of the president’s properties. “Cyril Ramaphosa owns game farm parties that are used for illicit financial flows, particularly money laundering”, Malema said. “It is not surprising that 60 million in dollar bills were stolen from Cyril Ramaphosa’s property and was not reported to the South African police services because criminals do not report crimes when their proceeds of crime are stolen”, Malema added.

What’s the president saying?
While he acknowledged buying and selling animals, “sometimes through cash, sometimes through transfers”, Ramaphosa denied wrongdoing. “I’ve never stolen money from anywhere and I will never do so. I have never stolen from taxpayers,” he said. Ramaphosa has been accused of concealing the theft from police and the tax authorities, and paying the burglars “for their silence”.