Ramaphosa brushes aside calls to quit

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday brushed aside calls for him to resign over an alleged criminal cover-up, as he set the stage for a key party conference next month.

The decision-making body of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) convened in a Johannesburg suburb at the weekend to discuss preparations for the party’s upcoming national elective conference.

The meeting was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding accusations Ramaphosa attempted to cover up a multi-million-dollar cash theft at his luxury cattle farmhouse. The scandal risks derailing Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term at the helm of the ANC, which in December is to pick a new leader in hotly contested internal polls.

The winner is to become the party’s candidate for the next presidential election in 2024.

The president, who denies any wrongdoing, reportedly faced questioning from party rivals and calls to step down at the closeddoor gathering.