South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was set to address the nation on Monday evening following a crucial Constitutional Court ruling that revived impeachment proceedings against him. The televised address, scheduled for 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), came as Ramaphosa faced renewed pressure over the 'Farmgate' scandal, which has been a significant embarrassment since it broke in 2022.

The scandal revolves around the theft of foreign currency from a sofa on Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in 2020. Ramaphosa stated that $580,000 was stolen, while a former intelligence official alleged the amount was at least $4 million. The incident raised questions regarding how Ramaphosa acquired such a large sum of cash, whether he declared it, and why it was stored in furniture rather than deposited in a bank. Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman before becoming president in 2018, has consistently denied wrongdoing, stating the money was proceeds from the sale of buffaloes. A central bank investigation found he had not contravened exchange control regulations.

The Constitutional Court ruling on Friday overturned a 2022 vote by the National Assembly that had blocked impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa. The court, in a case brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), declared the Assembly's December 13, 2022 vote inconsistent with the Constitution, invalid, and set it aside. Chief Justice Mandisa Maya ordered Parliament to refer an independent panel's report, which had found Ramaphosa 'may have committed' serious violations and misconduct, to an impeachment committee for further investigation. Ramaphosa's office confirmed he respected the court's judgment.

Despite calls for his resignation in some circles, Ramaphosa explicitly stated in his address, "While there have been calls in some circles that I should resign, nothing in the Constitutional Court judgment compels me to resign my office." He pledged to defend himself against the allegations. Political analysts widely anticipated Ramaphosa would defend himself and seek to see out his term, which ends in 2029.

The impeachment process is expected to be lengthy. An impeachment vote requires a two-thirds majority to pass. While the African National Congress (ANC) lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 election, it still holds about 40% of the seats in the National Assembly. Therefore, analysts suggest Ramaphosa would likely survive an impeachment vote. In related developments, former president Jacob Zuma's political party, uMkhonto weSizwe, wrote to the National Assembly speaker requesting a vote of no-confidence in Ramaphosa. However, analysts believe such a motion, requiring a simple majority, is also unlikely to succeed, as Ramaphosa would probably be supported by most ANC lawmakers and key coalition partners, such as the Democratic Alliance. The ANC has scheduled a special meeting of its National Executive Committee for Tuesday to discuss its next steps.