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EFF doesn't believe Ramaphosa, will 'disrupt him' until he comes clean or steps aside

Red berets believe the president was directly involved in 'farmgate'

Mawande AmaShabalala Political journalist
President Cyril Ramaphosa's game farm in Bela Bela, Limpopo, where millions of dollars were allegedly stashed only to be stolen with the connivance of a domestic worker. Ramaphosa says all is above board and the money was the proceeds of a game auction.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's game farm in Bela Bela, Limpopo, where millions of dollars were allegedly stashed only to be stolen with the connivance of a domestic worker. Ramaphosa says all is above board and the money was the proceeds of a game auction.
Image: Alaister Russell/The Sunday Times

EFF leader Julius Malema says the party is not buying President Cyril Ramaphosa’s story that he was not involved in the controversies surrounding his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo, where millions of dollars were allegedly hidden in furniture and then stolen with the help of a domestic worker.

This is because, the red berets insist, nothing could happen on a property owned by Ramaphosa without his prior knowledge and approval. Thus, the alleged torture of suspects who stole money from the farm and them being apparently paid hush money after the interrogation would have been known to Ramaphosa. 

Malema was addressing a press briefing at the EFF headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

He said the party has sent parliamentary questions to Ramaphosa about the incidents. The questions include:

  • How much money was stored at the farm, and in what currency?
  • Was it the entire proceeds of the game auction, or was there additional money that came from elsewhere?
  • Who bought the game, where and when?
  • Did he [Ramaphosa] disclose to parliament and the executive the amount of money stored at the farm?
  • Did he alert the revenue collector (Sars) of such an amount of money?
  • Why did he not open a case of theft at a police station rather than reporting to a bodyguard who is not permitted to open dockets and conduct investigations?
  • Will he open a criminal case with the police in a police station about the burglary and theft at the farm?
  • Will he provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the money stored at the farm was game-sale proceeds?
  • Did he ever receive a huge amount of money from donors during his tenure as deputy president and president of the country?
  • Does he have other places, other than the Phala Phala farm, where he has stored huge amounts of money? If so, what are the details by venue and stored amounts?
  • Did he call the president of Namibia to arrange for the illegal extradition of the people who took the money from the farm?

According to Malema, if Ramaphosa does not answer the questions to their satisfaction, the EFF will disrupt his public speeches until he steps aside to allow for an investigation into his involvement in the matter.

“Fellow South Africans, we gave Ramaphosa a chance to prove himself and he has dismally failed. We will treat him the same way we treated Zuma,” he said.

“He must leave office with immediate effect because he has not respected his oath of office. Everywhere and anywhere were we find and see Ramaphosa and we have an opportunity to stop him, in the name of SA we will do so.

“We will start on Thursday and will [go on] forever until he lets go of that office. That office must be occupied by a man of integrity, not a hypocrite and a man with double personalities. We will not allow that.”

TimesLIVE


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