Phala Phala: Ramaphosa only reported money was stolen a month later – report

The Phala Phala scandal threatening to cut shot President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political career just won’t go away.

A new report by the Sunday Times claims it took the president a whole month to disclose that money had been taken from his private game farm.

Claims have been made by the country’s former spy boss Arthur Fraser, that the president was involved in an elaborate cover-up of the crime after criminals – allegedly working in cahoots with his domestic worker – broke into his property and stole millions of US dollars in cash.

Fraser further claimed that the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated and bribed to keep quiet.

According to the Sunday Times report, the head of Presidential Protection Services (PPS), Maj Gen Walther “Wally” Rhoode’s statement to the office of the public protector reveals that even though Ramaphosa reported the security breach to him on February 10 2020, a day after it happened, he only disclosed the following month that money had apparently been stolen.

In those remaining days, Ramaphosa had attended several state commitments across South Africa.

Rhoode’s statement, reveals he was called to the president’s private residence in Hyde Park in Johannesburg on 2 March 2020, where Ramaphosa informed him that money from the sale of animals had been stolen, although Ramaphosa did not say how much.

Ramaphosa, Rhoode dispute Fraser’s claims

Rhoode and Ramaphosa are disputing several claims made by Fraser, including claims of tax evasion by the president and the illegal detainment of the burglary suspects.

The Presidency confirmed that a robbery had taken place at the president’s farm in Limpopo on or around 9 February 2020 in which proceeds from the sale of the game were stolen but denied claims of a cover-up and tax violation.

Pressure is mounting on Ramaphosa to come clean on what happened during the break-in two years ago.

The office of the Public Protector has since called on South Africans to desist from interfering in the ongoing investigation into the farm theft.

There have been growing calls on the institution to publicise Ramaphosa’s answers to the 31 questions relating to the now infamous burglary sent by the institution.

The president submitted written answers to the Public Protector’s office over the Phala Phala farm robbery last month following a threat of a subpoena after failing to meet his initial deadline.

The Public Protector says publicising Ramaphosa’s 31 answers will jeopardise the investigation.

NOW READ: Corruption Watch demands transparency over Phala Phala robbery