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| The entrance to Ramaphosa’s ranch, Phala Phala Wildlife Farm in Bela Bela, South Africa, earlier in June.Source: AP Photos |
Two suspects have been charged with money laundering and housebreaking for the theft of $580,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in February 2020. The charges relate to the theft of a large sum of US dollars stashed in couches on the farm. The pair were arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
The investigations revealed that between January 1 and 8, 2020, the accused persons conspired to commit housebreaking with intent to steal and steal at the Phala Phala farm. On 8 January 2020, Imanuwela and two others entered Stokkiesdraai farm believing it was the Phala Phala farm. They broke, but nothing was stolen. The following night, they located the Phala Phala farm, where they broke, entered, and stole $580,000.
The Farmgate scandal began in June 2022 when former head of the State Security Agency (SSA) Arthur Fraser filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa about the theft. Fraser claimed that Ramaphosa had failed to report the incident to the police, instead charging Major-General Wally Rhoode with finding the criminal and retrieving the money.
Ramaphosa has repeatedly denied any culpability in the events surrounding the theft at Phala Phala. A report by acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka cleared the President of all wrongdoing about the incident in June 2023, finding that Ramaphosa had not misbehaved or violated the Executive Ethics Code by exposing himself to any risk of conflict between his constitutional duties and his private interests. However, Gcaleka found that Rhoode had misbehaved in handling the crime, failing to open a case docket and pursuing an unofficial investigation.
