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Template:Merge to Template:Under construction Farmgate was a major political scandal in South Africa involving South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that took place on 9 February 2020 but became public in June 2022. The term "Farmgate" was coined by the South African media to describe the 2020 event that took place on Ramaphosa's farm and the 2022 public scandal that resulted from it.[1][2]

On 1 June 2022 former head of the State Security Agency and close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, Arthur Fraser,[3] lodged a criminal complaint against Cyril Ramaphosa for defeating the ends of justice by committing breaches of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and the Prevention of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004.[4] Fraser's complaint stated that a total of US$ 4 million (equivalent to R62 million)[5] stashed inside a couch at Ramaphosa's home at the Phala Phala game farm in Waterberg, Limpopo was stolen[6] “on or about” 9 February 2020.[2] It went on to state that the president did not report the crime and that the existence of such a large amount of foreign currency was not declared to the reserve bank despite regulations. Fraser's complaint also alleged that suspects supposedly involved in the theft were kidnapped and interrogated[4] at the farm[7] and were paid off not to tell anyone of the incident.[5] The Namibian authorities identified suspects involved in the theft before it became public but allegedly let the matter go following requests from South African state security sources.[8]

Sources close to the president stated that whilst a theft did take place at the farm the amount of money involved was less than Fraser had claimed and the money was all legally obtained following the sale of Ankole cattle.[5] Ramaposa stated that he did not report the crime as he did not was to cause alarm within the farming community and instead the presidential security detail investigated the theft.[5]

2020 alleged burglary

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From the allegation and charges laid by Arthur Fraser, the following events supposedly took place. A domestic worker employed at the Phala Phala game farm had allegedly discovered foreign currency hidden in furniture.[9] She lived off the farm in the village of Cyferskyl.[9] Many Namibians live there and their origin were from persons who had fought on the side of the South Africans Defence Force during the Border War and settled in South Africa after 1989.[9] She discussed the find with some neighbours and they put her in touch with some Namibians, who could help her, and were based in Cape Town.[9] The burglary occurred on the night of 9 February 2020, around 10pm. Fraser claimed the whole event was recorded on CCTV.[9] The burglars initially broke into the wrong room and then allegedly assisted by the domestic worker to the right room.[9] After the burglary, they then fled to Cape Town.[9] When the burglary discovered, head of the Presidential Protection Unit Major-General Wally Rhoode allegedly became involved, instructed to investigate by Cyril Ramaphosa.[9] Suspects were eventually traced to Cape Town after the domestic worker was interrogated and her cell phone examined for messages with the burglars.[9] In Cape Town, the burglars laudered the foreign currency into Rands at a Chinese money exchange.[10] Fraser claims the suspects were interrogated, any money left over returned and the burglars paid-off with R150,000.[9] At least one was allegedly interrogated while in Namibia by Rhoode.[9] This occurred due to the alleged intervention of Ramaphosa with Namibian President Geingob. Domestic worker was fired then reinstated and paid-off with $150,000.[9]

Burglary suspects

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The following alleged suspects were identified from the charges laid by Arthur Fraser with the police. The suspects that have been interviewed by journalist have claimed they are innocent.

  • Immanuwela David - Allegedly illegally entered Namibia June 2020 with the bribery of Namibian government officials.[11] He was arrested two day later in Windhoek, charged with entering Namibia illegally and breaking the country's Covid-19 lockdown rules.[11] He spent four months in jail before appearing in court on 13 November 2020.[11] He then pleaded guilty to illegally entering the country and failing to declare goods he had brought into Namibia.[11] He was sentenced to a year in jail for the former and 24 months for the latter crime and had to forfeit the cash, watches and jewellery.[11] He served only 48 hours and was deported to South Africa.[11]
  • Urbanus Shaumbwako - Namibian citizen, arrested in October 2020, in possession of unlicensed firearms.[11] The firearms had been used in robberies.[11] He is due in court in July 2022.[11] He was caught at a roadblock, with 12 unlicensed firearms, serial numbers erased believed to Namibian police weapons, while in a car belonging to Erkki Shikongo.[12]
  • Erkki Shikongo - He admitted to journalists that he smuggled gold, guns and dollars between Namibia, Angola and South Africa.[12] He said he knows the suspects named except Afrikaner.[12] Claimed Petrus Muhekeni is his "brother".[12] He also said he knows Immanuwela David from Cape Town.[12] Shikongo lived in the same house Cape Town with Urbanus Shaumbwako.[12] Denies knowing anything about the Phala Phala robbery.[12]
  • Petrus Muhekeni - He denied he was involved in the robbery.[12] Claimed no police had spoken to him about the event.[12] He is now in Namibia recovering from a broken neck from a house fall.[12] He was a Uber and Bolt driver in Cape Town.[12]
  • Petrus Afrikaner - No known information. Erkki Shikongo claims he doesn't know him.[12]

2022 Timeline

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On 1 June, former Director-general of the State Security Agency and Prison commissioner Arthur Fraser and his lawyer attended the Rosebank Police Station and laid a charge of money laundering, defeating the end of justice and kidnapping against President Cyril Ramaphosa.[13] He presented evidence to his allegation which included names, photographs, video footage of the robbery, and bank accounts.[13] He alleged that $4 million in foreign currency was stolen from a concealed location at the president's game park at Phala Phala on 9 February 2022. He alleged the burglars were then identified, kidnapped, interrogated and then bribed to hide the implications of the undeclared foreign currency from the South African Police Service and South African Revenue Service[13] The allegation was laid under section 34(2) of the Prevention and Combatting Corrupt Activities Act, which states its an offence not to report alleged crimes related to the act.[14]

A spokesperson for the presidency Vincent Magwenya confirmed the burglary on 2 June 2022, which occurred at the president's farm in 2020, that around $4 million was stolen and that the Ramaphosa denied any criminal conduct.[15] The spokesman question the timing of Fraser's disclosure two years later.[15] Magwenya confirmed that the theft was reported to the head of the Presidential Protection Unit of the South African Police.[15]

By 3 June 2022, Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said that his party would be writing to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) calling for the organisation to investigate whether the money had been declared and tax paid.[15] They would also write to South African Reserve Bank (SARB) asking them to investigate whether the foreign exchange held by Ramaphosa was the result of an illicit flow of funds and whether money laundering was involved.[15]

On Sunday 5 June 2022, President Ramaphosa, at his closing address of the ANC Limpopo provincial conference, claimed there was a political agenda around the disclosure that he had hidden the theft of money from his game park and that the amount of money was far less than had been reported.[16] He claimed the money came from selling game animals and he had not stolen money nor was it a case of money laundering.[16]

Monday, 6 June 2022, saw ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Tony Yengeni, a Jacob Zuma supporter, have the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting agenda modified to include a discussion about the brewing scandal.[17] He attempted to force the committee to make the Ramaphosa step down while he was investigated by the ANC's integrity committee.[17] He also attempted to get the president to face the parliament's ethics committee.[17] The attempt failed to unseat the president and the NWC accepted a report from Ramaphosa and would wait for the investigation to take its course before making a decision.[17]

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa wrote to the parliamentary speaker on 7 June 2022 requesting that parliament investigate the allegations using a panel of retired judges, and that president should step down during the process and allow the vice-president David Mabuza to assume the role.[17]

On 7 June, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) released a video supposedly of the robbery at Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm.[18] EFF leader Julius Malema called for the president to step aside while the police investigate.[18] He promised to mobilise the public to stop recognising his right to be president if he failed to step aside.[18] Malema also claimed the police were being pressured to change dates on official documents to back the president's claims that the Presidential Protection Unit had opened a case.[18]

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane announced on 8 June 2022 that she would be investigating Ramaphosa for criminal activities after receiving a complaint from African Transformation Movement MP and president Vuyo Zungula concerning allegations of bribery, concealing crimes and kidnapping at the president's farm.[19]

The following day, 9 June 2022, Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane was suspended by Cyril Ramaphosa.[19] Her suspension came, after weeks earlier, the president had requested her to report back to him as to why he shouldn't suspend her.[19] This she had done on 27 May 2022.{{#if:citation needed

|[citation needed{{#if: Her suspension would in no way hinder the deputy public protector from investigating the president.[19]

President Ramaphosa stated on 10 June 2022, that he would step aside if he was charged over the events that followed after money was stolen from his game park by burglars.[20] He also announced that he had volunteered to appear before the ANC Integrity Commission.

On 13 June 2022, ex-ANC spokesperson and Jacob Zuma supporter, Carl Niehaus opened a case of money laundering and kidnapping, at a police station, against Cyril Ramaphosa.[21] He said the president should be held accountable for his crimes and the opening of a case against the latter should become a national campaign and encourage South Africans to do the same.[21] On the same day, the Hawks confirmed that a group of investigators had been appointed to investigate.[21]

African Transformation Movement leader Vuyo Zungula tabled an official motion on 14 June 2022 that parliament investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa by forming a Section 89 Committee Inquiry over allegations the latter had violated section 89 of the South African Constitution.[14]

On 15 June 2022, the Hawks investigators met Arthur Fraser and discussed his allegations, provided additional information and he received an update on the case's progress.[22]

References

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  1. ↑ Makinana, Andisiwe (10 June 2022). "Ramaphosa shies away from 'farmgate scandal', citing legal advice". TimesLIVE (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  2. 1 2 O’Regan, Victoria (2022-06-12). "SPIES R US: Ramaphosa's Farmgate scandal – a timeline of what we know (and don't know) so far". Daily Maverick (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  3. ↑ "Furore over a theft bedevils the ANC". Moneyweb (in Seisimane). 2022-06-15. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  4. 1 2 Daniels, Nicola. "Sars, Reserve Bank mum on Ramaphosa's farmgate". www.iol.co.za (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Haffajee, Ferial (2022-06-02). "SPIES R US: Why Ramaphosa (apparently) kept mum about multimillion-dollar robbery at his farm". Daily Maverick (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  6. ↑ Gerber, Jan. "ANC does not want to 'interfere' with investigations into 'Rama-Phala Phala'". News24 (in American English). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  7. ↑ Bhengu, Cebelihle (15 June 2022). "'We have sides hidden under a mattress. It's a steal' — Nando's throws jab at Ramaphosa's 'farmgate' scandal". TimesLIVE (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  8. ↑ "Ramaphosa 'Farmgate': What we know, what we don't know and why you should care". MSN (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-15.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Jika, Thanduxolo; Makinana, Andisiwe; Nombembe, Philani (5 June 2022). "Did the president break the law?". Sunday Times (South Africa). pp. 1–5.
  10. ↑ Daniels, Nicola. "Ramaphosa's farmgate loot splurged in Cape Town". www.iol.co.za (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Afrika, Mzilikazi Wa. "One of Ramaphosa's "Farmgate" robbers nabbed". www.iol.co.za (in Seisimane). Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Hyman, Aron; Nombembe, Philani; Hosken, Graeme; Makhetha, Tankiso (12 June 2022). "'I'm a hustler, but I didn't steal Cyril's $4m'". Sunday Times (South Africa). p. 1.
  13. 1 2 3 Harper, Paddy (3 June 2022). "Former spy boss charges Ramaphosa with corruption". Mail&Guardian.
  14. 1 2 Mogakanethe, Tshwarelo Hunter (15 June 2022). "ATM tables motion to probe Farmgate". The Star. p. 7.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sar, SARB probe demanded into alleged $4m theft from Cyril's farm". The Citizen. 4 June 2022. p. 5.
  16. 1 2 Naki, Eric (6 June 2022). "'All this money is from selling animals'". The Citizen. p. 2.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 Harper, Paddy; Ferreira, Emsie (10 June 2022). "Cyril survives party challenge, but impeachment storms awaits him". Mail&Guardian.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Patel, Faizel (8 June 2022). "EFF releases video showing farm 'burglary'". The Citizen. p. 4.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Watson, Amanda (10 June 2022). "Suspended Busi keeps up the battle". The Citizen. p. 2.
  20. ↑ Watson, Amanda (11 June 2022). "Cyril trusts his future to 'due process'". The Citizen. p. 5.
  21. 1 2 3 Sithole, Siyabonga (14 June 2022). "Niehaus opens case against Ramaphosa". The Star. p. 2.
  22. ↑ Mogakanethe, Tshwarelo Hunter (17 June 2022). "Why Fraser met the Hawks". The Star. p. 1.
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