A career in politics is not for the faint of heart. Being in the public domain takes strength and resilience in the face of unending scrutiny and opposition.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has had his fair share of scandals and falls from grace, but he has seemingly always managed to bounce back.

That was until the Phala Phala farmgate fiasco, which has seen members of the ANC denounce him and call for his resignation.

Here are four scandals that have rocked President Ramaphosa’s political career:

Marikana

Police sweep the scene at the Marikana mine where 34 miners were killed on August 16, 2012. Photo: Paballo Thekiso/African News Agency (ANA)

The police are accused of shooting down 34 miners who were on a wage strike at the Lonmin mine located in Marikana, Rustenburg, on the afternoon of August 16, 2012.

This allegedly occurred as a result of Ramaphosa, a director of the mine at the time, requesting "concomitant" action against the miners in protest in an email to former police minister Nathi Mthethwa.

The cupcake cheating scandal

Social media users often refer to the president as "Cupcake," but where did this "nickname" come from?

In a leaked email, President Ramaphosa allegedly used the term "cupcake" to describe a woman with whom he was allegedly having an affair.

This was brought to light in 2017 when the ANC member was making a bid to become president. The term has clearly stuck.

So people still dont know why President Cyril Ramaphosa is called cup-cake! Kanti where have you guys been staying? I’ll not explain as cupcake is rich enough to sue for defamation 🤷![CDATA[]]>🏾‍♂️
— PhaṱhuMakwarela (@PhathuMakwarela) January 26, 2018

CR17 bank statements

Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng claimed that Ramaphosa benefited directly from the funds raised for the CR17 campaign. File photo

The president was accused of using the CR17 campaign funds for personal gain. The EFF petitioned the Gauteng High Court to have the CR17 bank statements unsealed in March 2021.

Former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng claimed that Ramaphosa benefited directly from the funds raised for the campaign.

"It was not for the benefit of the party or official party structure, party-political campaign, or any other person, but for his own upward mobility — his personal benefit. The CR17 campaign was all about him," said Mogoeng.

Accused of being an apartheid sellout

Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota. Photo: Ian Landsberg

Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of betraying struggle leaders to the apartheid Special Branch in the 1970s during the 2019 State of the Nation Address.

This led to #RamaphosaSoldOut trending on Twitter. The president responded to these claims. When he was detained in 1974, the security police wanted him to testify against Black Consciousness leaders, but he refused, he told Parliament.

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Scandals that rocked President Cyril Ramaphosa's political career before Phala Phala