JOHANNESBURG — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces a criminal investigation following revelations that he failed report the $4 million cash theft from his farm in northern Limpopo.
Arthur Fraser, the former head of intelligence in the country, has provided an account of the theft and opened a case against Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa denies the theft, but he claims that he reported the matter to his VIP Protection unit head. He did not report the incident to the police.
South Africa has a law that prohibits you from reporting a crime. Fraser’s affidavit states that Ramaphosa attempted to hide the theft. It happened during Ramaphosa’s visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at an African Union summit.
Many opposition parties called for an investigation into the theft. They also asked whether the South African Revenue Service had declared the amount of the allegedly stolen foreign currency.
The largest opposition party in the country, the Democratic Alliance, suggested that Ramaphosa be honest about the circumstances of the theft and the reasons it wasn’t reported to police.
John Steenhuisen, the leader of the opposition party, stated that the president faces a crisis in credibility and must not hide behind procedural smokescreens in order to present South Africans the whole truth about the money he stole from his farm and subsequent cover up.
The United Democratic Movement, another opposition party, asked Ramaphosa for a “leave to absence” while Parliament investigates the incident. It said it was not prudent to do so while he is in office.
Ramaphosa spoke out publicly about the incident over the weekend, the first since the revelations emerged. He said that the cash came from the sale and purchase of animals on his farm.
Ramaphosa stated that he wanted to confirm that he was not involved in criminal conduct and that he would be fully cooperating with any investigation.
“I would love to say that I am a farmer. I am in the cattle and game business. He said that through this business, which was declared to Parliament and all around, I buy and sell animals.”
Ramaphosa stated that the sales were sometimes made through cash or through transfers. This is clear evidence of a business transaction in which animals are being sold.
He addressed the Limpopo province conference of the ruling party, African National Congress. His political allies were reelected, increasing his chances for reelection as president of the ANC at its national conference in December.
Ramaphosa supporters are furious, claiming that the timing of Ramaphosa’s revelations is part of his attempts to derail his bid to become the party president in December.
Fraser, who was the former head South Africa’s intelligence and is loyal to Jacob Zuma, revealed the details about the theft.
Fraser approved Zuma’s release on medical parole last January. This action is being challenged in court. Zuma was sentenced to prison in December 2017 after he was found guilty of refusing to give evidence at a judicial inquiry into allegations of corruption that occurred during his presidency from 2009 to 2018.