Ramaphosa
South Africa's parliament votes against impeaching Ramaphosa
South Africa's parliament voted against starting impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over a report that says he held undeclared foreign currency at his farm in 2020.
The lawmakers voted 214 to 148 against the move to impeach Ramaphosa. The ruling African National Congress party, which holds a majority in the parliament, largely stood with Ramaphosa, preventing the motion from getting the two-thirds vote needed to proceed with impeachment.
Four ANC members of parliament, however, showed their opposition to Ramaphosa by voting in favor of impeachment and a few more did not show up for the vote.
Read more: Anger in rural areas fuel protests against Peru government
The crucial vote came after a damning parliamentary report alleged that Ramaphosa illegally hid at least $580,000 in cash in a sofa at his Phala Phala game ranch. It said he did not report the theft of the money to the police in order to avoid questions over how he got the foreign currency and why he had not declared it to authorities.
The report has brought Ramaphosa's opponents — opposition parties and even rivals within his ANC party — to call for him to step down.
At least four ANC lawmakers broke ranks with the party line and voted along with the opposition parties in favor of the impeachment process, including Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, currently a minister in Ramaphosa’s Cabinet and high-ranking ANC leader.
Dlamini-Zuma lost against Ramaphosa for the ANC presidency at its last national conference in 2017.
Other notable figures who voted in favor of Ramaphosa’s impeachment were Supra Mahumapelo and Mosebenzi Zwane, known rivals of Ramaphosa and allies of former president Jacob Zuma, indicating the extent of divisions within the ANC.
During the Tuesday seating. ANC lawmakers argued that the panel that drafted the report did not present enough evidence to warrant the impeachment of Ramaphosa. They said that other law enforcement agencies are still probing the matter.
They also cited Ramaphosa’s application for a judicial review of the report, saying parliament should await the outcome of that process before proceeding with any move against the president.
The parliamentary vote comes in a week where Ramaphosa will also be fighting for his political life as he seeks to be re-elected the leader of the ANC at its national conference starting in Johannesburg on Friday.
Read more: Congress removes Peru's president amid political unrest
The conference will also elect members of the party’s National Executive Committee, which is the party's highest decision-making body.
Ramaphosa must be re-elected as the ANC leader in order to stand for re-election to a second term as South Africa's president in 2024.
UNF
Comedian and actor Adam Sandler to get 2023 Mark Twain Prize
New York, Dec 13 (AP/UNB)- Over the years, The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor has gone to such luminaries as Richard Pryor, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, George Carlin and Ellen DeGeneres. Next year, it's going to the guy who made us crack up as Happy Gilmour.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said Tuesday that Adam Sandler would receive the prestigious award at a gala on March 19.
“Adam Sandler has entertained audiences for over three decades with his films, music, and his tenure as a fan favorite cast member on ‘SNL,’” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter in a statement. “Adam has created characters that have made us laugh, cry, and cry from laughing."
The 56-year-old actor-comedian, who this year starred in the well-received Netflix basketball drama-comedy “Hustle,” has created a list of funny films, like “Happy Gilmore,” “Billy Madison,” “Grown Ups,” “Big Daddy,” “The Longest Yard” and “The Waterboy.”
His role as Howard Ratner in “Uncut Gems” garnered Sandler several nominations and awards, including winning the National Board of Review and the Independent Spirit Award.
2 years ago