South African president acquitted of money theft

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been acquitted in a scandal involving the theft of half a million dollars in cash. Justice acquitted the head of state on Saturday of any wrongdoing after a raid on his private livestock farm. The equivalent of about 490,000 francs was stolen from the chairman of the ruling party ANC 2020. The president declared his finances as required by law, the authority said. The 70-year-old immediately reported the theft to the police.

The regulator’s ruling comes as a great relief to Ramaphosa, who has been president of South Africa since 2018. He was charged with corruption and money laundering. The affair nearly led to his firing in December. In a vote on impeachment requested by the opposition, 214 MPs voted against. 148 were in favour, two abstained. The ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), only supported the head of state and the party after protracted debates.

The successful businessman and multimillionaire was previously heavily accused by a report from a parliamentary committee of inquiry. Accordingly, Ramaphosa allegedly violated an anti-corruption law as well as the constitution. However, according to independent legal experts, the report was largely based on unverified information and rumors. The money is still gone today. (saw/sda/dpa)