The Freedom Front Plus says it is hopeful that the investigations by the South African Reserve Bank and the Hawks will provide clarity on what took place on the President’s Phala Phala farm in 2020.
The party was reacting to the leaked preliminary report by Acting Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka that found that allegations against President Cyril Ramaphosa are unsubstantiated.
In the interim report, Gcaleka says the evidence before her office does not support the allegation that Ramaphosa’s financial interests in game and cattle farming expose him to a conflict of interest between his official duties and private interests.
Legal expert Romeo Nthambeleni discusses the preliminary report on the Phala Phala investigation:
The President has been accused of concealing the theft of what he says is 580 000 US dollars, abusing state resources and violating the Executive Ethics Code amongst others.
The Reserve Bank’s Financial Surveillance Department last year wrote to the President requesting information on the origins of the foreign currency that was stolen on his farm and any underlying transaction that may pertain to it.
Freedom Front Plus’ Wouter Wessels says, “At this stage, it seems as though there are still questions that remain unanswered. The investigations by the Hawks and the South African Reserve Bank will hopefully provide more clarity but the Freedom Front Plus is still of the opinion that an ad hoc committee of parliament should be established to do a thorough investigation of the involvement of all other government departments in the Phala Phala matter.”
