Phala Phala theft suspects to remain in custody

The two suspects who allegedly stole $580,000 (R10.6m) from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in 2020 will remain behind bars until their formal bail application on Friday.

Namibian nationals Imanuwela David and Froliana Joseph appeared before the Bela-Bela magistrate’s court on Tuesday.  The pair were arrested and charged for the February 2020 break in and theft of $580,000 (R10.6m) at Ramaphosa’s farm in Limpopo.

David was arrested in Rustenburg on Sunday and Joseph was arrested on Monday. Hawks spokesperson Col Katelgo Mogale said a third suspect was expected to be arrested soon.

During court proceedings it was discovered that Joseph has a one-year-old baby who requires breastfeeding.

Presiding officer Predeshnie Ponnan ordered the baby to be taken to her mother three times a day so that she can feed the baby.

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said outside the court that Joseph had been a cleaner on the farm at the time of the robbery.

“Floriana was an employee in the farm, she was a cleaner but temporarily and had been working there for a while, and she is the one who was familiar with the farm and it is alleged that she infected the other accused,” she said.

Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused had allegedly used the money to buy expensive cars and properties.

David, in a recorded interview reported by the Sunday Times last year, was heard saying he was alerted to the stash of dollars hidden in a sofa at Ramaphosa’s farm by a cleaner. She sent his cousin a sample of R200 notes to prove they were not counterfeit, whereupon they decided to break in to the farm.

The theft came to light when former State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser opened a case of kidnapping and money laundering against Ramaphosa, the head of the Presidential Protection Services Maj-Gen Wally Rhoode and Crime Intelligence members for allegedly concealing the break in.

Ramaphosa said the cash was paid to his former farm manager, Sylvester Ndlovu, by Sudanese business person Hazim Mustafa on Christmas Day in 2019 as he wanted to purchase a herd of buffalo. 

Fraser accused the president of concealing the crime from the SA Police Service and SA Revenue Service (Sars).

The recently appointed Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka cleared the president of any wrongdoing over the manner the theft was handled. Opposition parties rejected her decision.

Meanwhile, the section 89 panel that was appointed by parliament to investigate the president found that the president had a case to answer.

In August, Sars governor Lesetja Kganyago defended the Bank’s investigation into the Phala Phala theft, saying it found the cash handed to a lodge manager in 2020 was a “security deposit” and not a final payment.

“The foreign currency was stolen before the conditions precedent to the sale transaction could be fulfilled,” he said.

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