EFF leader Julius Malema told a media briefing on Tuesday that his party was not confident that the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Hawks, the South Revenue Service and the South African Reserve Bank would investigate the prima facie evidence presented against President Cyril Ramaphosa over the US dollars ‘concealed’ on his Limpopo farm before they were allegedly stolen. Picture: Timothy Bernard African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - Local law enforcement authorities and their Namibian counterparts are seemingly dodging serious questions about the millions of US dollars allegedly concealed on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm before thieves, criminals, reportedly from Namibian, helped themselves to the loot to spend it in Cape Town.
Former State Security Head Arthur Fraser has recently lodged a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa at the Rosebank police station for allegedly defeating the ends of justice, kidnapping of suspects, their interrogation on his property and bribery.
The case is in connection with a 2020 break in, where millions of US dollars (in excess of US$4 million) in Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo, were stolen by four Namibian nationals and one South Africa, colluding with his domestic worker who first discovered the loot in 2020, said Fraser.
His explosive affidavit states that, after one of the suspects were traced and found to have fled to Namibia, Ramaphosa allegedly sought the assistance of his Namibian President Hage Geingob in apprehending the suspect through unofficial channels.
Namibia’s Prosecutor-General for Namibia Martha Imalwa has been quoted by Namibian newspaper, The Namibian, as saying they had solicited the assistance of the South African government to no avail when sums of money were entering their country linked to one of the alleged suspects.
Approached for comment on Tuesday, both Geingob’s office and Imalwa did not respond to the Cape Times’ questions.
The National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Justice and Correctional Service did not respond to questions raised in connection with the incident.
Ramaphosa spokesperson Vincent Magwenya maintained: “As indicated in the statement issued on Saturday, the Presidency will not provide any further comment on the matter due to a possible investigation.”
During a press briefing on Tuesday, EFF leader Julius Malema said Fraser had more scandals involving money in foreign currency being countered in Ramaphosa’s airline.
He criticised the conduct of authorities who he said were seemingly refusing to act on the allegations, saying he was not confident that the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Hawks, the South Revenue Service and the South African Reserve Bank would investigate the prima facie evidence presented by Fraser.
“Recent experience has proven that these institutions, including the National Treasury as well as some quarters of the judiciary, are now deeply embedded in the ANC’s toxic factional politics. The EFF has, however, submitted to Parliament questions to Cyril Ramaphosa in terms of National Assembly Rule 145, to hold him accountable for the unreported Phala Phala Farm burglary and the stolen R60 million.”
Malema added that the EFF had it on “good authority” that there is pressure on police to fabricate affidavits.
“Ramaphosa had a duty to disclose to the nation that he had been robbed as the man who should uphold the Constitution and be transparent with the people of this country. He did not do this because he was concealing his own criminality and he will continue to do so in order to avoid accountability.”
“The EFF is not shocked by the revelations that there was a burglary and theft at Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala Farm, and that R60m was stolen.”
The organisation added that if Ramaphosa did not step aside, “ the EFF will then mobilise many sectors of society to stop recognising him as a president of the Republic and will not permit him to perform any presidential functions.”
The EFF in Namibia have also called on Geingob to come clean on his involvement.
Director of the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu said it was time Ramaphosa came out with the truth.
“It looks like there is more to the story than what we know. We expect transparency to be the order of the day when it comes to public representatives.”
Cape Times