Cyril must stop ducking Phala Phala that keeps SA guessing

Ordinary South Africans can be forgiven for feeling sometimes as though they are living in Wonderland – but no more so than the latest episode of the Phala Phala saga, for which Alice herself might well have gasped: “curiouser and curiouser!”

Two suspects appeared in the magistrate’s court in Bela Bela yesterday, charged with stealing $580 000 (about R10.6 million) from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Limpopo game farm in February 2020.

The accused, Imanuwela David, 39, and 30-year-old Froliana Jose, are understood to be Namibian nationals and, according to the state, the Phala Phala break-in was the second burglary they had attempted, having got nothing from a similar attempt at a neighbouring farm the previous night.

Curiously, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it would not oppose bail for Jose but was still thinking about what to do in the case of David.

That decision would be based on the NPA “gathering more information”, according to a spokesperson.

ALSO READ: Phala Phala: Two suspects appear in court – Here’s what we know about them

When asked what sort of information investigators were looking for, the spokesperson said that was “confidential.”

Really? You’d be hard-pressed to look for a stranger explanation. This only adds to the mystery of Phala Phala, which is murky at best and has given Ramaphosa’s opponents plenty of ammunition to try to take him down.

The Reserve Bank found that Ramaphosa and his company had no obligation to declare the foreign currency, because it was merely a deposit for the purchase of buffalo and no actual transaction had taken place.

That sounds credible, especially if you read the whole bank report which, incidentally, is also marked “confidential”.

So why, then, does Ramaphosa act like the rabbit caught in the headlights? If he really has nothing to hide, why all the ducking and diving?

It’s not a good look for a sitting head of state in a country wracked by corruption and crime.

ALSO READ: Hawks arrest two suspects for Phala Phala farm robbery