Accused of kidnapping: Arthur Fraser calls on Ramaphosa to tell the truth

The State Security Agency’s (SSA) former Director-General Arthur Fraser called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to tell the truth about the claims against him linked to an alleged robbery.

Fraser hopes Ramaphosa will take the nation into his confidence regarding the details of the robbery.

Fraser on Wednesday laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, accusing him of breaching the prevention of organised crime act by not reporting an incident at his Limpopo farm in 2020.

The South African Police Service (Saps) have since confirmed a criminal case was opened against the President by Fraser and that due process will follow.

Ramahosa’s farm robbery

He alleges that criminals entered Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo and were caught after stealing US$4 million.

Fraser further claims the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated and paid off to keep silent.

Fraser said Ramaphosa should tell South Africans what happened at his farm in 2020.

“I trust that the police and the prosecuting authorities will investigate this matter without fear or favour, I also trust that the president will take the nation into his confidence and accept or deny that the events I describe in my affidavit occurred on his property.”

The presidency has not yet commented on the matter.

ALSO READ: Arthur Fraser lays criminal charges against Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa not to blame for SA’s woes

Meanwhile, there is far too much blame attributed to Ramaphosa for the country’s current woes, as South Africans search for a “messianic figure” to save us from the challenges of governance and society’s ills.

This was the opinion of the Director of Programmes at the Auwal Socio-economic Research Institute (Asri) Ebrahim Fakir, who said President Ramaphosa cannot be blamed for everything that is currently wrong in the country.

Fakir was speaking to The Citizen on Wednesday about the blame that has been showered on Ramaphosa by political commentators and analysts about the state of the country.

He believes some of this may be misplaced.

“We have this idea that the leader must be a messianic figure who can solve, and do, and take charge for every single thing in society, and no leader can do that. It’s impossible. There are serious structural constraints to what Ramaphosa can do,” Fakir said.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa can’t be blamed for everything going wrong in SA – analyst