The trial of the individuals suspected of stealing from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm has been rescheduled for April to do additional research, which will include obtaining video and telephone records from the location. Floriana Joseph, the cleaner, her brother David Joseph, and Imanuwela David made a brief court appearance on Friday in the Bela Bela magistrate’s court.
The three of them are accused of stealing $580,000 (R11.2 million) from Ramaphosa’s farm in Limpopo in 2020. The story ignited a significant debate. While David, the alleged mastermind, is charged with money laundering, two counts of housebreaking, and conspiracy to commit housebreaking, Joseph and her brother are accused of stealing and housebreaking.
The state claims the postponement was necessary to obtain records of cellphone usage, watch security footage, and review bank statements. More suspects, according to the state, were in the process of being extradited.
A spokesman for the Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi-led Limpopo National Prosecuting Authority announced that two suspects were being extradited from Namibia. The case has been rescheduled for April 26. David, who was not granted bail in December, will still be detained.
In November of last year, Froliana and her brother Ndilishano received bail amounts of R5,000 and R10,000, respectively.
Theft of Foreign Currency
David planned to enter a not guilty plea, but the court considered him a flight risk, thus in December, the bail was denied. The Farmgate scandal, sometimes referred to as the Phala Phala farm steal, took place on February 9, 2020. Foreign cash was stolen as a result of the break-in.
After revealing the robbery, former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser called the police. He claimed that over $4 million (almost R60 million) in unreported foreign currency was lost in the break-in, although other sources indicate that the actual amount taken was more like $580 000.
In relation to the event, President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing and requested judicial review of a 2022 report from a parliamentary panel that charged him with “serious misconduct.”
The Reserve Bank carried out its own investigations as well, however it received negative feedback regarding their reliability and integrity.
Report Validated Ramaphose
The president was exonerated of any wrongdoing in connection with the theft of foreign currency from his farm by the study, which was released in August 2023.
Political groups such as the African Transformation Movement, ActionSA, and the EFF, on the other hand, rejected the report’s findings and said they would challenge them. ActionSA chairman Herman Mashaba expressed skepticism, saying, “We firmly believe the SARB [South African Reserve Bank] investigation is another attempt to cover up President Ramaphosa’s involvement in the burglary.”
He expressed shock at SARB governor Lesetja Kganyago’s choice to keep the Phala Phala report confidential and questioned how such a large amount of money could be concealed without drawing attention from financial authorities.
Possibility of tax avoidance
Sinawo Thambo, a spokesman for the EFF, disputed the central bank’s claim that there was “no perfected transaction,” claiming that this did not clear Ramaphosa of any possible tax evasion or money laundering.
In a legal challenge to the purported imbalances, Thambo charged that the Reserve Bank was shielding the president at the expense of middle-class individuals who were struggling.
“We cannot misuse our foreign exchange laws to shield Ramaphosa from prosecution just because the establishment supports him,” Thambo declared.
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