KEY POINTS
- Three suspects were accused of stealing $580,000 from Ramaphosa’s farm.
- Ramaphosa denies wrongdoing and says the money was from buffalo sale.
- The case has raised calls for Ramaphosa’s impeachment to be revived.
Three people accused of breaking into South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm and stealing $580,000 in cash hidden in a couch appeared in court Monday, with their case postponed until next month.
Game farm cash theft case delayed until next month
The alleged theft occurred in 2020 but came to light two years later, embroiling Ramaphosa in a scandal. He was accused of concealing the crime and the cash’s existence. Opposition parties accused Ramaphosa of tax evasion, money laundering, and breaking foreign currency laws over the cash in U.S. dollars.
According to a report by Myjoyonline, Ramaphosa denied any wrongdoing, saying the money came from the legitimate sale of buffaloes at his Phala Phala game farm. The Reserve Bank and a public watchdog cleared him of wrongdoing.
Opposition accuses Ramaphosa of hiding stolen cash and evading taxes
However, an independent report raised questions about the cash, and Ramaphosa narrowly survived an impeachment vote in Parliament in 2022 when his African National Congress (ANC) party used its majority to block the motion. Two opposition parties have filed papers with South Africa’s highest court requesting the impeachment proceedings be revived. That case will be heard next month.
The three suspects, Imanuwela David, Ndilinasho Joseph, and his sister Floriana Joseph, face charges of housebreaking and theft, according to prosecutors. David is in custody, while the Joseph siblings are out on bail.
The scandal sometimes referred to as “Farmgate,” emerged as Ramaphosa was seeking reelection as ANC leader in late 2022. He was reelected and later won a second term as South Africa’s president this year, with the help of opposition lawmakers after the ANC lost its 30-year majority.
Nine opposition parties joined the ANC in a broad governing coalition following the May 29 election, quieting some criticism of Ramaphosa over the Phala Phala scandal.
