Cyril Ramaphosa broke the law – Phala Phala Farmgate report
Retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo’s three-member Independent Section 89 Panel has found that President Cyril Ramaphosa had violated his oath of office in handling the break-in and theft of a huge amount of money in US$ at his Phala Phala game farm.
In a report, which Justice Ngcobo released to Parliament Speaker Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula on Wednesday morning but made public at the evening, the panel found that Ramaphosa had committed four serious violations and that there is prima facie evidence against him.
Read the full story here
Panel finds Ramaphosa has a case to answer in Phala Phala Farmgate scandal
Cape Town – The panel chaired by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo has found that President Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer in relation to Phala Phala.
In the report released on Wednesday evening the report found that Ramaphosa violated a number of laws.
This now paves the way for Parliament to discuss the report on Tuesday and take a decision.
Read the full story here
READ: SIU silence on Phala Phala a concern, says Zungula
It is unprecedented for a president to be investigated by all investigating agencies in the country except the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) because SIU proclamations are signed by the head of state, currently President Cyril Ramaphosa.
This is according to the leader of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) Vuyo Zungula, who spoke to Independent Media on Wednesday.
Zungula’s party launched a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa because of his involvement in the Phala Phala scandal.
Read the ful story here
READ: Phala Phala: Much like Mogoeng, will Ngcobo show bravery?
Independent analyst Professor Sipho Seepe has raised concerns over the courage of the Section 89 Independent Panel headed by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo handed over the panel’s report into the Phala Phala #Farmgate today.
The deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Zululand said that the narrowness of the terms of reference was of concern.
“Judge Ngcobo is strict and very precise, but unlike former Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, he might not look at the bigger picture … because Ngcobo has also indicated that it is a parliamentary matter.
Read the full story here
READ: Ramaphosa must still account, says ATM leader Vuyo Zungula
Political parties have welcomed the handover of the Phala Phala independent report with mixed emotions.
Speaking after former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo handed over the report to the Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said the party was happy that the report would be released in detail later in the day so that members of Parliament and the public at large know what is contained in the report.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said while the report has been released, he believes the public will still be kept in the dark for most part of the day as it would come through the Announcements,Tabling and Committees (ATC) Reports.
Read the the full story here
Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has officially received a report from an independent Panel which was tasked to investigate the Phala Phala farmgate and will be studying it.
READ: Phala Phala report: What is the ATC and how it will be used
Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the Phala Phala report, handed over to her by an independent panel on Wednesday morning, would be handed via Parliament’s ATC.
The ATC simply stands for: Announcements, Tablings and Committees.
Read the full story here.
READ: December 6, D-Day for the Parliament debate on Phala Phala report
Mapisa-Nqakula said the Phala Phala report would be debated by Parliament on December 6 and a decision would be taken in that sitting on what to do with it.
However, the report would be released on the internal communication system of Parliament.
Read the full story here.
READ: Phala Phala report: Panel did what it was required to do by National Assembly members, says Retired Justice Ngcobo
Retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo says their job as the independent panel into the Phala Phala scandal was to interrogate the information that members of the National Assembly wanted them to.
He was reacting to questions about their fitness to probe the matter.
Read the full story here.
WATCH: POLITICAL PARTIES REACT TO HANDOVER OF PHALA PHALA FARMGATE REPORT
She received the report from the chairperson of the report panel, retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo on Wednesday morning.
WATCH: SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT NOSIVIWE MAPISA-NQAKULA EXPLAINS INQUIRY INTO PHALA PHALA FARMGATE SCANDAL
Mapisa-Nqakula told the media on Wednesday morning that the report will be made public on December 6.
WATCH: SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT NOSIVIWE MAPISA NQAKULA RECEIVES PHALA PHALA FARMGATE REPORT
She also said explained she had granted an extension to the panel to in order to safeguard the credibility of of the report.
The independent panel investigated the circumstances around the theft of $4 million (about R64m) from Ramaphosa’s farm.
WATCH: PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF PHALA PHALA FARMGATE REPORT HANDOVER
News about large sums of foreign currency concealed under a mattress and couches at the farm came to light early this year after former State Security Agency and Correctional Services director-general Arthur Fraser opened a criminal case against Ramaphosa at the Rosebank police station.
* Check out ’s special Phala Phala content hub here. *
Earlier reports by and the Sunday Independent indicated that the money was allegedly stolen by five Namibians who conspired with a domestic worker on the farm in February 2020 and that Ramaphosa had allegedly failed to report the theft to the police.
In September, one of the Namibians linked to the theft, Urbanus Shaumbwako, 37, appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court following his arrest at a roadblock in October 2020.
At the time, he was found in possession of 12 automatic firearms and also faced charges of reckless driving.
WATCH: THE PRESIDENTIAL HEIST CAPTURED ON CCTV FOOTAGE
Others who were named by Fraser as having been involved in the theft include Imanuwela David, Errki Shikongo, Petrus Muhekeni and Petrus Afrikaner.
The media in Namibia reported that police in Namibia denied any involvement in helping to cover up the theft.
The panel that will be handing over the report includes Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, former head of the Gauteng High Court Division, Judge Thokozile Masipa and advocate Mahlape Sello.
“The purpose of the panel is to say, based on information before them, if there is prima facie evidence that warrants Parliament to look into the matter, if this is the case when the report is handed over, members of Parliament will then receive a report and will have an opportunity to look at it and go to the House and have it debated and adopted,” Mapisa Nqakula said when the members of the panel were announced.
* Check out ’s special Phala Phala content hub here.
On June 4, 2022, Sunday Independent reported: WATCH: President Cyril Ramaphosa’s unexplained millions stashed under mattresses at his farm
President Cyril Ramaphosa allegedly kept large sums of money in foreign currency, estimated to be $4 million, “concealed” under a mattress and couches at his farm in Bela-Bela, Limpopo.
