Phala Phala: Anatomy of a scandal

President Cyril Ramaphosa. IOL presents a timeline of events that led to the Constitutional Court’s hearing of an EFF application to overturn Parliament’s decision not to adopt the Section 89 report on the Phala Phala scandal. President Cyril Ramaphosa will know on Friday whether or not he willescape accountabilityfrom thecase he has to answerover thePhala Phala scandal.

Various arms of the state have been able toshield him from accountability; that is, until the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) brought an application before the Constitutional Court to overturn Parliament’s decision not to adopt the Section 89 report delivered after an investigation by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo. This effectively blocked anypotential impeachmentproceedings from being launched against Ramaphosa. – February 2020: There was a robbery at Ramaphosa’s private game farm in Limpopo.

It was reported that around $4 million was taken. The money, later reported to be from the sale of livestock, was hidden in a couch. The suspects allegedly took the money and fled to Cape Town.

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It was revealed that a domestic helperinside the home on the farm helped the suspects. She was interrogated and the men traced to Cape Town. Ramaphosa allegedly failed to report the robbery.

– June 2022: Former spy boss,Arthur Fraser,also laid charges against the president claiming that whatever monies left over from the exchange, was returned and the suspects; Immanuwela David, Urbanus Shaumbwako, Erkki Shikongo, Petrus Muhekeni and Petrus Afrikaner, were paid for their silence. It is also alleged that one of the suspects had been interrogated while in Namibia by head of the Presidential Protection Unit Major-General Wally Rhoode following apparent intervention by Namibian President Geingob. The Namibian government has denied any involvement.

When Fraser’s charges came to light, Ramaphosa denied any wrongdoing. Spokesperson for the Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, also questioned Fraser’s timing on the charges. Ramaphosa meanwhile, alluded to a political agenda.

The DA declared its intent to write to the SA Revenue Service for an investigation into whether the $4m had been declared and taxes paid. The party was also going to approach the SA Reserve Bank on the matter. Staunch Jacob Zuma supporter, Tony Yengeni, tried to force the ANC National Executive Committee to compel Ramaphosa to step down.

Yengeni also tried and failed to get Ramaphosa unseated and the NWC accepted a report from the president. It said it would await an investigation before revealing its decision. The African Transformation Movement leader Vuyo Zungula tabled an official motion on June 14, 2022, that parliament investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa by forming a Section 89 Committee Inquiry over allegations the latter had violated section 89 of the Constitution. Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane announced an investigation into Ramaphosa for criminal activities following the ATM complaint.

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