South Africa: President Ramaphosa partially cleared in the Phala Phala case

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation address in Cape Town on February 9, 2023. © GCIS via AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

After investigation, the public defender believes that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa did not commit abuse in the Phala Phala case.

Nearly $600,000, originally suspicious, had been discovered on one of his cattle farms, after a burglary in 2020.

Advertisement

Read more

With our correspondent in Johannesburg

,

The methods used to recover the money and the legality of this sum are the subject of several investigations.

In the meantime, the decision of the public defender is a relief for the president who had

after the publication of an unfavorable investigation report.

So that's one big cloud less above the head of Cyril Ramaphosa.

The public defender considers that the president acted correctly by declaring the burglary of his farm to the chief of his personal protection, which amounts to declaring it to the police, believes the institution.

Moreover, President Ramaphosa has duly declared his interests in his luxury cattle farm, which earns him a lot of money.

This report is a small victory for the South African president who continues to proclaim his innocence.

Without triumphalism, the presidency reacted by specifying that Cyril Ramaphosa never violated his code of conduct and that in this story, he is the victim.

Questions still pending

The president is not totally out of the woods since other questions are pending.

Have the nearly $600,000 stolen from his farm been declared to the tax authorities?

And how did so much foreign currency enter the country?

This money would be the result of the sale of 20 buffaloes to a Sudanese businessman.

The transaction remains nebulous.

Other investigations are underway, including a criminal investigation.

We understand then why the presidency does not cry victory.

►Also read

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Continue reading on the same topics

• South Africa

• Cyril Ramaphosa

• Justice