Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied any involvement in the alleged cover-up of the 2020 theft at his Phala Phala game farm, following revelations in a 2023 report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
The report found that the head of Ramaphosa’s security detail, Major General Wally Rhoode, concealed the theft of about $580,000 and failed to follow proper police procedures, including promptly registering a case.
The matter only came to light two years later after it was exposed by former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser. IPID has recommended disciplinary action against Rhoode and another officer.
Speaking during a visit to Kusile Power Station on Friday, Ramaphosa distanced himself from the alleged misconduct.
“The IPID report is what you would have read. I had nothing to do with it. So, that is a process, as I’ve always said, processes must play themselves out, and all these matters are being handled by the right institutions, and we must allow those institutions to handle those matters,” Ramaphosa said.
[WATCH] “The IPID report is what you would have read, I had nothing to do with it,” President Cyril Ramaphosa responds to a question about an explosive IPID report regarding the robbery at his Phala Phala farm. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/wSPyiwFMo2
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) April 10, 2026
Meanwhile, according to The Citizen, the African Transformation Movement (ATM) has called for impeachment proceedings under Section 89, arguing the report exposes serious abuses of power and institutional corruption.
“We view this as institutional corruption embedded within state operations.
“The truth of the matter is that the President is compromised. It is the firm view of the ATM that these findings fundamentally compromise the Office of the President and reflect state capture in real time, where state institutions are repurposed to shield political power,” the report quoted ATM national spokesperson Zama Ntshona as saying.
The party, along with ActionSA, had pushed for the previously “top secret” report to be made public.
The controversy adds pressure on Ramaphosa as investigations continue into the broader Phala Phala saga, with separate probes also examining allegations of political interference and corruption within the police and criminal justice system.
Picture: X/@EducationGP1
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
