A couch used to conceal at least $580,000 (about R10 million) at president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm was no longer on the property when the Hawks arrived.
According to News24, the Hawks visited the farmhouse near Bela Bela, Limpopo, on 27 October 2022 as part of their investigation. By then, the couch – where the stolen cash had been hidden – had already been removed.
The money was stolen during a burglary on 9 February 2020. All three accused pleaded not guilty.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the farm’s staff had sent the couch for reupholstering. “It is not something that would have required instructions from the president,” Magwenya said.
The scandal erupted in June 2022, when former spy boss Arthur Fraser filed a complaint with the police, alleging that Ramaphosa concealed the theft of a large haul of foreign currency from his farm instead of reporting it. This sparked accusations that Ramaphosa attempted to cover up the crime, AFP reports.
Serious violations and misconduct
An independent parliamentary panel found that Ramaphosa “may have committed” serious violations and misconduct in his handling of the affair. However, parliament later voted against initiating impeachment proceedings that could have forced him from office.
The accusation raised suspicions of money laundering and corruption, but Ramaphosa denied any wrongdoing. He admitted to investigators that the cash was stolen but maintained the money was payment for buffaloes purchased by a Sudanese businessman.
In August 2023, Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka cleared the president of allegations that he breached executive ethics, concluding that his handling of the matter did not violate the Constitution.
