Phala Phala: EFF rejects ‘nonsensical’ Public Protector report clearing Ramaphosa

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has dismissed Acting Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka’s preliminary report into the theft of foreign currency at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm.

Phala Phala report leaked

Gcaleka’s draft report on the Phala Phala farm scandal was leaked on Saturday. The preliminary report clears Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing over the theft of $580 000 (about R10 million) at the president’s farm in Limpopo, which occurred in February 2020.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa has 10 days to reply to preliminary PP report on Phala Phala

However, the 191-page report did make adverse findings against members of the South African Police Service (Saps) attached to the presidential protection unit.

The implicated members are Major General Wally Rhoode, who was the head of Ramaphosa’s protection unit at the time, and Sergeant Hlulani Rekhoto, who investigated the housebreaking.

‘Predictable outcome’

In a statement, the EFF said the outcome of the report from the Office of the Public Protector was “predictable”.

The Red Berets described the report’s preliminary findings as “nonsensical” and “irrational”, and further accused Gcaleka of being captured by the president.

The party accused the acting public protector of waiting for almost nine months to produce the report, saying she stalled its release to the public “because she knew full well that she would produce an outcome that is at odds with basic logic and objective reality”

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“Gcaleka deliberately utilises the scapegoat of Cyril Ramaphosa, and accredits the misuse of South African Police Services (Saps) resources to General Wally Rhoode, as if he has the ability to operate outside of the directives of his principle with regards to conducting a rogue investigation to recover the money stolen at Phala Phala farm.

“It is not feasible that Rhoode would conduct a full-on investigation into the matter, without the direct oversight of the president himself,” the EFF said in a statement.

“Secondly, Rhoode is not a law enforcement agency, wherein one can report a crime, and that results in a legitimate case being opened with Saps.

“The claim therefore that Ramaphosa reported the theft simply because he informed a lone police official in his police detail, is ridiculous, to say the least.”

‘Affirmation of distortions’

The EFF said Gcaleka’s draft report was therefore “nothing but an affirmation of the distortions that Cyril Ramaphosa has uttered in public platforms to avoid accountability”.

The party called on Rhoode and Ramaphosa’s adviser and close political ally, Bejani Chauke, to tell the truth regarding who gave them the directives to conduct the criminal investigation they undertook in an attempt to allegedly recover the US dollars stolen at Phala Phala.

“They will face the full might of the law in defence of a cover-up, should they not reveal the basic fact that they were directed by Ramaphosa to perform illegal acts.

“It is now clear that the Office of the Public Protector is compromised and is occupied by a certified spy of Cyril Ramaphosa.”

READ: EFF, DA wants committee looking into Phala Phala, ANC MP vows to ‘defeat it’

The Office of the Public Protector confirmed on Saturday that the preliminary findings of the Phala Phala investigation were sent to all affected parties, including Ramaphosa, on Friday, in terms of the Public Protector Act.

The office said all complainants and implicated persons had 10 days to make representations to the public protector on the draft document.

The complainants in the matter are African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyolwethu Zungula, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen, and two other individuals who are not Members of Parliament.

Acting public protector’s acting spokesperson, Ndili Msoki, emphasised that the disclosure of the contents of the report is prohibited by law.

‘The less said, the better’

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said he had noted the preliminary findings of the report, echoing the Presidency’s statement on the matter.

“I’ve noted the report and that’s about all I can say in terms of the public protector’s rules once a preliminary report has been issued,” said the president.

“The less said, the better because she [advocate Gcaleka] still has to issue a final report,” Ramaphosa added.

Ramaphosa was speaking on Saturday in KwaDukuza on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast during an African National Congress (ANC) election campaign.

Earlier, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the report on the Phala Phala scandal vindicated the president’s long-maintained view that he “did not participate in any wrongdoing, nor did he violate the oath of his office”.

“Instead, the president was a victim of a crime that he duly reported to the relevant authorities,” said Magwenya.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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