Cape Town - Police Minister Bheki Cele and his Justice and Correctional Services counterpart Ronald Lamola stuck to their guns that neither of their departments were involved in the alleged cover-up of the theft of US dollars from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.
This directly contradicts their Namibian counterparts who had confirmed that police from neighbouring countries met with their South African colleagues in a place called “no man’s land” to discuss the details of the break-in in 2022.
Officials from the Namibian justice department had repeatedly confirmed that a request was sent to their South African counterparts to share more details around the issue after obtaining an order to freeze the assets of the alleged mastermind.
No response was received from South Africa, according to the Namibian side.
Ramaphosa is the subject of a police investigation after former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser blew the lid on the theft of millions of dollars reportedly concealed in furniture on his farm in Limpopo.
Fraser had claimed the president may have been involved in the cover-up of the theft, including the kidnapping and torturing of the suspected thieves from Namibia before they were apparently bribed for their silence.
Ramaphosa never reported the theft to the police, as required by the law, but instead claims he informed his head of security.
Cele and Lamola appeared before the National Assembly on Wednesday to answer a number of questions, including about the Phala Phala matter.
Lamola told MPs there should be no political pressure on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) or any investigative authority in connection with the farm break-in and theft.
“While we do understand certain things need to be done expeditiously, these institutions are aware of the pressure and are aware of the need to handle this matter expeditiously, but political pressure on its own is also interference,” Lamola said.
He said if people do not want the executive to interfere, they should allow due process to take its course.
“It is what we as executives do and we expect colleagues in the political environment to respect this process, which has been provided for in the Constitution and laws that bind all of us,” he said.
Lamola confirmed the NPA had not yet initiated criminal prosecution against any person involved in the theft at Phala Phala, as criminal investigations of the allegations were still underway.
“The relevant director of the public prosecution office will commence assessing the evidence once the case docket is formally handed over by the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI),” he said.
Asked about the current status of the request from the Namibian government for mutual legal assistance in relation to the investigations into the events surrounding Phala Phala, Lamola said they had not yet received an amended request that met the requirements.
Lamola denied that he was doing Ramaphosa’s bidding on the matter.
“There is nothing else and we are also following all diplomatic protocols that have been put in place between the two countries,” he said.
Cele denied that SAPS was used to investigate and hunt down those allegedly involved in the break-in.
Asked why there was no static police presence at the farm until after the 2020 break-in since the presidential handbook provided for such at both his private and official residences, Cele said the president had a Presidential Protection Unit (PPU) that worked for the protection of the president wherever he was.
“That unit reports to the national commissioner as its operation is not reported to the national minister of police. What one would know is whenever the president is, he would be protected. One would assume there were members in that particular area. The matter was reported to the head of PPU.”
Meanwhile the South African Reserve Bank has given Ramaphosa seven more days to answer further questions regarding the origin of the foreign currency concealed in furniture on the farm, and any underlying transaction that it may pertain to.
In a letter to EFF MP Floyed Shivambu, Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago referenced correspondence received from the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCOF), Joseph Maswanganyi, requesting that Kganyago respond to members on how they are processing the matter related to the incident at Phala Phala. “As I indicated in the Committee Meeting held on August 17 2022, the SARB has legal and confidentiality matters to consider when responding to information that involves individuals and entities, and we are thus bound by those provisions in law.
“I can share with you that the Financial Surveillance Department (Department) of the SARB administers the Exchange Control Regulations and investigates contraventions thereof. Following the allegations presented in media reports regarding the alleged theft of foreign currency at the Phala Phala farm, the department requested the legal advisers of the President, on June 20 2022, to provide information and details regarding the origin of the foreign currency and any underlying transaction that it may pertain to,” Kganyago said.
He added the president’s legal advisers were afforded 21 business days to respond, which was subsequently extended for a further period of 15 business days.
“The department has since received a response from the president’s legal advisers to which further information and details were requested by the department. A response to this additional request for information is required and expected by no later than September 8 2022, whereafter the department will be in a position to progress in its investigation into the matter,” Kganyago said.
In a statement the EFF said it was shocked by the SARB response.
“The Reserve Bank has effectively stated that they had no knowledge of the foreign currency kept by Ramaphosa in his mattresses.”
Cape Times