SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka in relation to a scandal involving the theft of a large sum of US currency hidden in a sofa at his game farm.
The public watchdog’s investigation found that Ramaphosa did not violate the ethics code for members of South Africa’s executive, providing a significant boost to his reputation and leadership of Africa’s most developed economy. The incident, which occurred in 2020 but was only made public last year, had posed a significant challenge to Ramaphosa’s credibility.
Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka stated, ‘Ramaphosa did not act improperly in reporting the theft to the head of his personal protection unit, and the allegation that he tried to cover up the existence of the large sum of cash hidden in furniture at his farm is not supported.’ Gcaleka also dismissed claims of a conflict of interest regarding Ramaphosa’s income from his Phala Phala game farm, stating that the allegations were not substantiated.
The investigation was prompted by a complaint from the opposition African Transformation Movement Party. While the public watchdog cleared Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing, an ongoing criminal investigation into the incident is still underway.
Ramaphosa, in his response, stated that $580,000 in cash was stolen, but Gcaleka did not confirm the exact amount in her investigation. The president has denied any attempts to conceal the theft and disputed the claims made by Arthur Fraser, the former head of South Africa’s intelligence service, who accused Ramaphosa of money laundering and breaching tax and foreign currency control laws.
The scandal had a significant impact on Ramaphosa’s image as a leader committed to combating corru
ption within the South African government and his ruling African National Congress party. Despite calls for his resignation from opposition parties, attempts to initiate impeachment proceedings failed due to the ANC’s majority in Parliament.
While the public watchdog’s findings clear Ramaphosa of wrongdoing, questions still remain regarding the presence of such a large amount of cash in the sofa. Ramaphosa has previously stated that the funds were proceeds from the sale of buffaloes to a Sudanese businessman. The investigation’s conclusion paves the way for Ramaphosa’s anticipated re-election as the leader of the ANC and his bid for a second and final
five-year term in next year’s elections.
