JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance has written to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States to probe allegations of money laundering against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This comes after former State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser opened a criminal case against Ramaphosa, alleging that he concealed a crime in which millions of dollars were stolen from his Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said they believe that the FBI should look into the matter because it involves US currency.
Steenhuisen said the DA had, in total, taken nine steps to ensure that Ramaphosa was held accountable for his failure to declare theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala farm.
“It is becoming more and more clear that the president’s decision to remain silent is frankly not sustainable for a day longer,” Steenhuisen said.
The DA also approached the Financial Intelligence Centre to investigate the use of foreign currency stolen from Ramaphosa’s farm to purchase luxury items.
The party also wants the South African Revenue Service to establish whether the sale of game at Ramaphosa’s farm was done in accordance with tax law before the crime occurred.
Steenhuisen said they also want the head of the Presidential VIP Protection Unit major-general Wally Rhoode to be hauled before Parliament to answer to allegations that he was sent to conduct a secret investigation in Namibia following the burglary.
Fraser, who was the national commissioner for the department of correctional services until last year, said in his complaint to the police that “the quantum was speculated to be in the region of approximately US$4 million to US$8 million”. He was referring to the amount of money he said had been stolen from Ramaphosa’s farm.
While Ramaphosa has confirmed that a robbery occurred at his farm in 2020 in which he said proceeds from the sale of game were stolen, he denied claims of criminal conduct.
The president, who is expected to seek re-election as leader of the governing African National Congress party at a gathering due to be held in December, has offered to appear before the ANC’s integrity commission, which looks into any unethical or immoral conduct that may involve its members.
