TIMELINE: Phala Phala farm theft saga

The following is a timeline of events relating to the Phala Phala farm left saga.

01 June 2022

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that former State Security Agency (SSA) Director-General Arthur Fraser has opened criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Rosebank Police Station in Johannesburg.

In a statement, Fraser says the charges emanate from the theft of over $4 million by robbers in February 2020, in collusion with a domestic worker, at the President’s Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo.

Arthur Fraser lays criminal charges against President Ramaphosa

July 2022

In July, President Ramaphosa gave his response to the 31 questions that were sent to him by the Office of the Public Protector regarding the burglary at his farm.

His response followed a subpoena threat by the Chapter Nine Institution.

Ramaphosa was expected to comply with the request by Monday, July 18, having missed an earlier deadline in June, but failed to do so.

The video below is reporting on the President’s response:

24 July 2022

A small group of ANC members protested outside the venue of the 9th KwaZulu-Natal elective conference in Durban, carrying placards written: “Ramaphosa Must Go”.

August 2022

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) says it will probe the alleged conduct of police after claims of a cover-up regarding the theft of foreign currency at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in 2020.

This follows a request by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) to investigate the matter.

August 17 – opposition parties said they will use the courts and Parliamentary processes to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa, and his administration, accountable over the alleged cover-up following the robbery at his Phala Phala Farm.

August 18 – Parliament said calls by a group of opposition parties for the establishment of an impeachment committee to investigate the Phala Phala matter involving President Cyril Ramaphosa is premature and inconsistent with National Assembly procedures.

August 24 – Hawks head General Godfrey Lebeya says more than 40 statements have been obtained in relation to the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.

August 30 – President Cyril Ramaphosa once again refused to answer questions related to the theft of money from his Phala Phala Farm in Limpopo.

President Ramaphosa says he’s willing to be fully accountable for the Phala Phala farm theft

On the 31 of August, The United Democratic Movement (UDM) has joined several political parties in voicing opposition to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response on the Phala Phala farm saga.

September 2022

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says there is no justification for a delay by the office of the Public Protector in releasing its report on the alleged robbery of large amounts of US dollars at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.

On September 08, Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed that his department received a request for assistance from the Namibian government in September 2020 regarding the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.

October 2022

The independent panel entrusted with determining if President Cyril Ramaphosa broke the law around the theft of a large sum of foreign currency from his Phala Phala farm, two years ago, started with its work.

On October 22, Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka says progress has been made in the probe into the Phala Phala matter where President Cyril Ramaphosa is alleged to have failed to report the theft of a large amount of US dollars.

11 November 2022

The Section 89 Independent Panel of Experts’ additional research form part of its assessment which was then to be concluded within ten days.

30-01 December 2022

The Parliamentary Section 89 Panel has found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer regarding the Phala Phala farm theft saga in 2020.

The EFF has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down following the recommendations of the section 89 Independent Panel that was tasked to probe the Phala Phala farm scandal

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be impeached without further delay.

The Section 89 Panel report has described aspects of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s explanation of the source of the foreign currency stolen from his Phala Phala farm as unsatisfactory.

The Section 89 Panel has raised concern that it was not given all the information that is available on the Phala Phala issue.

Video| Independent panel hands over President Cyril Ramaphosa Phala Phala farm case report