Cape Town – Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen says Cyril Ramaphosa has brought the country into disrepute with the farm scandal and called on the president to come clean on the matter.
Ramaphosa was accused of bribing burglars to keep quiet about a February 2020 heist at his farmhouse, where they stole cash worth some $4 million.
South Africa’s former spy boss Arthur Fraser reported the matter to the police. He said that Ramaphosa hid the heist from police and the tax authorities.
Fraser accused Ramaphosa of organising the kidnapping and questioning of the burglars, and then bribing them to keep quiet.
Ramaphosa, on the other hand, acknowledged the burglary but disputed the amount of money involved and said the cash came from legitimate sales of game at his farm.
He denied the alleged kidnapping and bribery, saying he reported the burglary to the police after he had learned of it.
According to News24, Fraser named Imanuwela David, Errki Shikongo, Petrus Muhekeni, Urbanus Shaumbwako and Petrus Afrikaner as the perpetrators of the heist.
He claimed that the men conspired with the domestic worker to steal the money which was hidden in a couch.
The men were found in Namibia and were allegedly tortured, along with the domestic worker.
In a statement on Friday, Steenhuisen said that Ramaphosa must come clean about the scandal as it was damaging the country’s image abroad.
“Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala scandal is damaging the South African economy and our prospects for creating jobs for the unemployed youth he professes to care about. His Presidency has been characterised as one of consistently putting party before country. Now he’s gone one step worse and put personal interests before country interests.
“South Africa should not protect President Ramaphosa out of a fear of even worse ANC leaders waiting in the wings. The ANC is dying anyway. South Africa will be better off without it. We need to protect the timeless democratic principles of accountability, transparency and equality before the law, principles we cannot do without,” said Steenhuisen in a statement.
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Picture: Facebook/ John Steenhuisen
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
