Arthur Fraser meets with Hawks about Ramaphosa’s farmgate scandal

Former spy boss Arthur Fraser on Wednesday met with investigators from the Hawks, to give them more details into the alleged theft of $4 million (about R61 million) in cash at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm in Limpopo.

Fraser’s lawyer, Eric Mabuza, confirmed the meeting in a brief statement.

“Today, being the 15th of June 2022, Mr Arthur Fraser met with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) in order to assist them with their investigation into his complaint against His Excellency, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa,” the statement read.

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According to Mabuza, Fraser furnished the Hawks with additional information and details to enable them to do their work.

“Mr Fraser appreciates the professionalism and the speed with which the Hawks have responded to his complaint.”

Farmgate saga

Almost two weeks ago, Fraser, the former State Security Agency director-general, laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption.

Fraser alleged 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 Phala Phala farm in February 2020 and stole millions of US dollars in cash.

He further claimed that the suspects were subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid to keep silent.

Ramaphosa appeals for patience

Ramaphosa has come under increasing public pressure to come clean about the robbery, but he has appealed for patience while law enforcement agencies investigated the matter.

Speaking in Parliament last week, the president said he would not discuss details of the robbery at his farm, citing legal advice.

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“The robbery that took place on my farm Phala Phala in 2020 is the subject of a criminal complaint and the law must be allowed to take its course. In other words, due process must be followed,” Ramaphosa said.

ATM pushes for parliamentary probe

Meanwhile, the African Transformational Movement (ATM) is not backing down in its bid to force Ramaphosa to account to Parliament regarding the robbery saga.

On Tuesday, the party filed a substantive motion in terms of Rule 129A for the establishment of a Section 89 inquiry over allegations that the president breached the Prevention of Organised Crime Act by not reporting the robbery at his farm.

The matter comes after National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Monday rejected the ATM’s initial request for a Section 89 inquiry after considering the “substantive issues raised” on the matter.

READ MORE: ‘Ramaphosa must resign’: Carl Niehaus joins Arthur Fraser and lays charges

“It is common cause that Mr Arthur Fraser has submitted evidence at the Rosebank police station where the president is implicated in serious crimes, including bribery, money laundering, kidnapping, breaching of customs and excise laws, breaching of Sars [South African Revenue Service] regulations, breaching the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, defeating the ends of justice, to mention but a few.

“[The] ATM will only focus on the areas where transgressions are neither contested nor in dispute. Incidentally, these areas are the areas where Parliament has exclusive jurisdiction,” ATM president Vuyo Zungula said in the motion.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe. Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa

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