Cape Town – Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has reportedly admitted that the investigation into the 2020 theft of foreign currency from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm in Limpopo has been delayed.
Lamola said this as Ramaphosa hosted Namibian President Hage Geingob at the Union Buildings on Thursday.
The scandal, which erupted in June, revolves around about half-a-million dollars in cash that Ramaphosa has acknowledged were stolen from beneath sofa cushions at his ranch.
The president, who has said the money was payment for buffalos bought by a Sudanese businessman, has been accused of failing to report the matter to the police, as well as abusing his powers and exposing himself to a conflict of interest over the affair.
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According to Times Live, several law-enforcement agencies are investigating the matter.
The report said that in a statement released in June 2020, the government said it had closely followed media reports and a statement by the Namibian police force concerning a request for mutual legal assistance in respect of Imanuwela David, the alleged mastermind behind the robbery, who they had apprehended.
“We received a request. The request was not compliant with our own laws in relation to mutual legal assistance,” the report quoted Lamola as saying.
“We then returned the request to the Namibian authorities outlining the issues that we want them to comply with and that is where we are. We have not yet received a notice that complies with the request they provided us.
[WATCH] It remains to be seen whether President Cyril Ramaphosa and Namibian President Hage Geingob will discuss the Phala Phala scandal. Correctional services Minister Ronald Lamola has conceded that the investigation has hit a stag. @TimesLIVE @SundayTimesZA pic.twitter.com/LRtbblAJtF
— Amanda Khoza – The Journalist (@MandaKhoza) April 20, 2023
“Through our mutual legal system and agreements with the Namibian authorities, that is the line we will continue to operate in,” Lamola said
Asked whether the investigation had hit a snag, Lamola said: “Yes, up until we receive a compliant notice in line with the law … we will definitely co-operate and provide the information they need.”
According to Business Day, Ramaphosa and Geingob did not discuss Phala Phala during their meeting on Thursday.
“It did not feature at all in our discussions. Not at all,” the report quoted Ramaphosa as saying
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
