Farmgate: Zizi Kodwa allegedly knew about Ramaphosa robbery – report

Deputy State Security Minister Zizi Kodwa allegedly knew about the theft of $4 million (about R63 million) in cash at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo two years ago, according to a City Press report.

The paper reports that Kodwa is among a list of government officials who apparently knew about the incident at Phala Phala, but chose to keep it a state secret.

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However, the minister, who’s a close ally of Ramaphosa, has denied knowing about the robbery, saying the claims are “pure fabrication”.

“This is pure fabrication and a fishing expedition; it’s desperation to give life to a non-story. The last night I went to Namibia I was working for [former president Jacob] Zuma. They are lying,” Kodwa was quoted as saying.

‘Farmgate’ scandal

According to City Press,  Kodwa and Colonel E Edwards – a police attaché in the SA High Commission in Windhoek, Namibia –  were mentioned in new information coming from Namibia that is being shared with South African investigators.

Former spy boss Arthur Fraser, earlier this month, laid a criminal complaint with police against Ramaphosa of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption.

He claimed that the president was involved in an elaborate cover-up of the theft at his game farm in February 2020.

Fraser claimed that criminals, working in cahoots with Ramaphosa’s domestic worker, broke into the property and stole the cash, but were later allegedly bribed after they were kidnapped.

Ramaphosa has denied any criminality on his part and maintains the crime was reported to police.

‘No-man’s land meeting’

City Press reports that security insiders in Namibia said Kodwa participated in several discussions between SA and their country. This included during a meeting in a border territory belonging to neither country in the Karas Region, known as no-man’s land.

“Namibian government sources also cited Edwards, whose full name City Press could not establish, as the first point of contact between the Namibian police and their South African counterparts in a bid to establish a collaborative effort to bring the Ramaphosa robbery suspects to book, among them Namibian nationals,” the report stated.

 The Hawks’ Thandi Mbambo refused to be drawn into commenting on their ongoing investigation into the Phala Phala game farm theft when approached for comment.

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