Johannesburg - South African pastors and bishops have called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be held accountable for his involvement in possible money laundering on his Phala Phala farm after negative findings against him by an expert panel of lawyers.
The International Federation of Christian Churches said it was concerned about the instability in the country following Ramaphosa’s possible removal from office. The federation, which is made up of a number of prominent priests and televangelists, said the president should take the nation into his confidence about what really took place on his farm.
"The president has expressed himself on numerous occasions that he is intolerant of corrupt activities and corrupt people. And therefore it is important for him to respond to the preliminary findings of the report by the panel," the leaders said.
Their statement further called for the nation to be calm while all legal processes were being followed by parliament and other bodies. The National Working Committee of the ANC was expected to meet over the matter on Sunday afternoon. The National Executive Committee (NEC) was also expected to meet on Sunday, with the ANC facing a tough decision on whether to defend the president from being impeached. Ramphosa is accused of violating the Constitution and breaking the executive code of ethics. He had also found himself in a compromised position with his role as government leader and his business interests.
"We as leaders of society call on all South Africans to allow the processes to unfold and to safeguard the institutions that are dealing with the matter from any influence from various quarters. We fought hard for this democracy, and we should protect its integrity and be patient; our country needs leaders with integrity and a strong moral standard," the pastors said.
The federation stated that it would monitor developments in the matter in the hope that all decisions made by relevant structures were in the best interests of the country.
"Whatever the president and Parliament choose to do, they must put South Africa and its people first," they said.
The Star