By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Three persons have been arraigned in South Africa in connection with alleged stealing of cash worth millions of dollars from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm in 2020, in a scandal that has been dubbed “farmgate”.
Imanuwela David, Ndilinasho Joseph and Froliana Joseph who appeared at a regional court in Limpopo province on Monday will face charges of house breaking and theft. The case has been adjourned till Nov. 26,
Meanwhile, the Joseph siblings arrested in November last year will continue to enjoy a bail earlier granted, while David will remain in custody, the court ordered.
Heritage Times HT recalls that “Farmgate” was blown open when South Africa’s former spy chief, Arthur Fraser, told police in June 2022 about the incident and accused Ramaphosa of money laundering, corruption and covering up a large theft of foreign currency.
He told police the thieves had raided Ramaphosa’s game farm in February 2020, found at least $4 million in foreign cash hidden in furniture, and made off with the money.
Police opened a criminal investigation and critics and the national press raised questions about how Ramaphosa had acquired the cash and whether he declared it to the tax authorities.
Ramaphosa said there had been a break-in and that a much smaller amount of cash – proceeds from the sale of game – had gone.
He denied covering up the crime, saying he was away when it happened and that he reported it when he got the details.
In June 2023 the anti-corruption watchdog cleared him of a potential conflict of interest related to the money found inside a sofa on his Phala Phala game farm.
The scandal nearly cost him the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC).
