Cyril Ramaphosa acquitted of wrongdoing in Fala Fala theft case

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been cleared of wrongdoing by the state’s ombudsman in the theft of hundreds of thousands of US dollars stashed in a sofa at his private game farm, an encouragement as he faces the biggest threat to his presidency Struggling leaving behind.

South Africa’s acting public protector Kholeka Gkaleka said on Friday that Ramaphosa did not breach a code of ethics following a 2020 incident when at least $580,000 was stolen from the Fala Fala reserve, which triggered a chain of events Which shook his authority. in the ruling African National Congress.

“The allegation that the President improperly . , , It is not appropriate to expose him to any risk of conflict between his constitutional duties and obligations and his personal interests arising out of or affected by (the falsified piracy),” she said.

Gkaleka said there was also no evidence that the president had abused his power in investigating the theft of the cash, which he said had come from the sale of buffalo, but questioned whether the police had How did you handle the investigation?

The findings will strengthen Ramaphosa’s hand in the ruling party after he came close to resigning last year following the scandal, when a report to MPs found he may have broken the law following the theft.

Ramaphosa chose to remain in the presidency as supporters coalesced around him and the ANC re-elected him with a large margin to lead them in national elections the following year. The party also used its parliamentary majority to veto a full investigation by MPs into his possible impeachment on the matter.

The scandal threatens to destroy South Africa’s already frail effort to transform its institutions and economy since it took power in 2018, following years of looting and rot under former President Jacob Zuma.

A former trade unionist and anti-apartheid veteran, Ramaphosa has said that he farmed sports, particularly Ankole, with money he earned as a business tycoon during a long break from politics before returning as Zuma’s deputy. Invested in cattle.

The Public Protector investigation did not look into the origin or amount of the cash kept in Phala Fala, where Ramaphosa could still face sanctions from other regulators given South Africa’s controls on the use of foreign currency.

Unanswered questions on cash have tarnished Ramaphosa’s reputation as a reformer, as has his government in the face of confusion over the country’s energy crisis, other serious economic problems and the government’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. Has come under criticism.

The ANC faces an uphill battle to retain its majority in the 2024 election, 30 years after it first gained power.

Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa said last year he paid in cash to buy buffaloes on Christmas Day 2019 after a visit to Fala Fala Farm. They said they never received the buffalo after this “normal business transaction” and may seek a refund.

The South African Revenue Service said it had no records of Mustafa’s cash entering South Africa this year. It added that Ramaphosa and his sports estate have complied with their tax obligations to date.

The South African Reserve Bank and the Hawks, a specialist police anti-corruption unit, have also launched investigations into Fala Fala.