Third suspect in Phala Phala farm burglary to appear in court

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The third suspect arrested in connection with the burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Bela-Bela, Limpopo, will appear in the local magistrates’ court along with two other accused today.

The farm’s former domestic worker, Floriana Joseph, and co-accused, Imanuwela David, are due to make their second court appearance. The three allegedly stole more than $500,000 from the farm in February 2020.

They are facing charges including theft and money laundering.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Limpopo spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said that the third suspect was arrested on Thursday and will make their first court appearance today alongside Joseph and David.

Joseph and David are expected to apply for bail. The pair are Namibian nationals with South African citizenship.

The Phala Phala burglary has been the subject of much controversy, with some having called for Ramaphosa to resign over his handling of the incident. The president denied any wrongdoing.

Bela-Bela Magistrates’ Court to hear two suspects

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) cleared Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing in its investigation into undisclosed foreign currency stolen.

In a statement, the SARB says due to legislative requirements and constraints, the report into the matter is private and internal, and will not be made available to the public.

Based on the information, documentation, and evidence collected during the investigation, the SARB has concluded that there was no perfected transaction. Consequently, the SARB cannot establish that there was any violation of the Exchange Control Regulations (specifically, Regulation 6(1)) by Ntaba Nyoni Estates CC, the entity involved, or the President. The SARB’s determination stems from its belief that the transaction in question was subject to unfulfilled conditions precedent, leading to no legal entitlement for Ntaba Nyoni Estates CC to the foreign currency as stipulated in Regulation 6(1).

SARB says the Governor will, within the boundaries of applicable legal constraints, provide feedback to Parliament during the SARB’s upcoming engagement with the legislative body.

Ramaphosa will not take Phala Phala report on legal review