Two suspects linked to the robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Bela Bela have been remanded in custody after making their first court appearance on Tuesday.
Imanuwela David (39)and Froliana Joseph (30) appeared in Bela-Bela Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after they were arrested on Sunday and Monday respectively. The pair faces charges of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, housebreaking with intent to steal and theft and money laundering.
NPA Regional Spokesperson for the Limpopo Division Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said investigations revealed that between 1 January 2020, the accused persons conspired to commit housebreaking with intent to steal and theft at Phalaphala farm.
“On 8 January 2020, Imanuwela with two others entered Stokkiesdraai farm believing that it was Phalaphala farm. They broke and entered but nothing was stolen. The following night they located the Phalaphala farm where they broke, entered, and stole US$580 000 (R10,6 million),” she said.
The amount stolen has been a subject of debate since news of the crime emerged. It has been claimed that the money was for a game bought from Ramaphosa while others claim the money stolen was more than $4 million. This has raised questions regarding how the money had entered the country and why was it not declared with the necessary agencies.
Phala Phala Wildlife is described as a privately owned 4,500-hectare wildlife game farm situated some 43km west of Bela-Bela in the Limpopo Province. It is located within the Central Bushveld Bio-region. It forms part of the Stud Game Breeders along with Dinaka, Lumari, Nyumbu, Shelanti and Tembani. Ramaphosa is the face of Phala Phala on the site.
The crime was kept under wraps for more than two years until former State Security Agency and Correctional Services director-general Arthur Fraser opened a criminal case against Ramaphosa at the Rosebank police station. Fraser in his affidavit said Ramaphosa and his head of protection General Wally Rhoode must be investigated for money laundering, corruption, and kidnapping.
In his affidavit, Fraser added, “It is no small matter to lay criminal charges against a sitting President, but I am guided by the dictates of the interest of justice and our Constitution”.
Fraser said in the affidavit that thieves broke into the president’s wildlife farm on February 9, 2020, and stole “undisclosed sums of United States dollars, concealed in the furniture in the main farmhouse”.
“The incident was not officially reported to the police to investigate. However, President Ramaphosa instructed Major-General Rhoode to investigate the incident immediately, apprehend the suspects, and retrieve the stolen US$,” Fraser wrote in his affidavit to the police.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya has always played coy with the case and information released to the public. In late 2022, Magwenya maintained that Ramaphosa was not involved in any criminal conduct and pledged his full cooperation with any police investigation.
At the time, he said Ramaphosa’s security was beefed up following the incident in February 2020. The crime was pulled off by five Namibian nationals allegedly in collaboration with the domestic worker.
Security footage from February 9, 2020, shows how the robbers gained entry into the house and helped themselves to an undisclosed amount of money “concealed” under mattresses and couches.
Ramaphosa failed to report the matter to any police station following the incident. Instead, he allegedly paid the suspects, including his domestic worker, R150 000 each, not to reveal the incident to anyone after they were traced and apprehended.
Ramaphosa allegedly solicited the services of his head of the Presidential Protection Unit, Major-General Wally Rhoode, to investigate the matter without reporting it at any police station. A case was only opened with the Bela Bela police in late 2022 when the matter had been all over the news.
Since then, there has been an investigation by the Public Protector’s office, South African Reserve Bank as well as a Parliament lead investigation which have seemingly failed to lead to any action being taken against Ramaphosa.
The court case has been postponed to 10 November 2023 for accused 1, (Imanuwela) to arrange for legal representation and a formal bail application.