Deputy State Security Minister, Zizi Kodwa, says the alleged theft of four million US dollars at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm in Limpopo two years ago is being investigated.
Kodwa was speaking in Cape Town during an African National Congress (ANC) policy discussion meeting on justice, peace and stability in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats.
Former State Security Director General, Arthur Fraser, last week laid a criminal complaint against the President and others at the Rosebank Police Station in Johannesburg.
Fraser has accused Ramaphosa, the Presidential Protection Unit head Major General Wally Rhoode and members of crime intelligence of alleged money laundering, acting in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, and corruption.
President Ramaphosa claims he is innocent. At the conclusion of the ANC’s Limpopo conference in Polokwane on Sunday, he insisted that he had never stolen taxpayers’ money and that the money stolen from his Phala Phala farm was the result of a sale of animals and a pure business transaction.
Kodwa says, “One of the robberies at the farm of the President is under investigation. We don’t want to run a parallel commentary on it. I think like everybody else we need to let it run its course. SAPS is investigating it. I don’t think they reflect a state of lawlessness. These are incidents we have independent institutions those issues will be dealt with.”
Namibian connection
AmaBhungane claims to have discovered a Namibian connection in the theft of money from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo two years ago.
According to investigative reporter Sam Sole, Namibian authorities identified suspects following a break-in at Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm in 2020, but sources claim SA intelligence back-channels were used to persuade the Namibians to drop the case.
Managing partner for the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, Sam Sole explains:
‘Allegations serious and worrying’
Political analyst, Ralph Mathekge says allegations made against President Ramaphosa regarding the money stolen from his Limpopo farm are quite serious and worrying.
Mathekege says these allegations together with the CR17 saga are negatively affecting the President’s integrity.
“The President just keeps on getting it wrong. I am not looking at this in isolation, I am also looking at this thing in relation to the CR17 where the President says because I am a good guy and I am doing great and I am cleaning problems within the ANC bear with me, you have to take this. This is the cost at which things are going to be delivered. You have to trust me with this. I am not going to give you accountability directly. Ultimately the net effect is that the nation actually gets trapped down with the ANC.”
Robbery at President Ramaphosa’s farm was reported: Presidency
