Man guilty of stealing cash from farm owned by South African president

Image source, Leon Sadiki/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Cyril Ramphosa, South Africa’s president, has denied any wrongdoing

A court in South Africa has found a man guilty of stealing more than $500,000 (£372,822) in cash from a farm owned by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, in a case that mired the head of state in an impeachment saga.

Imanuwela David was found guilty of theft on Monday, as well as conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal at Phala Phala farm in the Limpopo province in 2020.

Froliana Joseph, a cleaner at the property, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal.

Her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was acquitted on all charges.

David was accused of breaking into the cattle farm in February 2020 and taking $580,000 (£432,000) in cash from a sofa on the property. David then went on a spending spree, buying a range of cars including three Mercedes – among them one for his girlfriend – a Porsche, two Volkswagens as well as diamond-encrusted Rolex watches and a house.

David told the court he had made the money through businesses including diamonds and Bitcoin, claims the court rejected. The court also found that David was the only one of the two convicted who had any of the stolen cash in his bank account.

Pre-sentencing will take place on 13 November.

There have been many twists and turns in what is known as the Farmgate scandal.

The theft was largely unknown until 2022 when it was brought to light by Arthur Fraser, South Africa’s former intelligence chief and an ally for the former president Jacob Zuma, when he claimed that Ramaphosa hid the theft from the police and tax authorities.

Ramaphosa admitted the theft took place but denied any wrongdoing.

An independent panel that same year found Ramaphosa could have questions to answer over the burglary. MPs voted against establishing an impeachment inquiry.

In May this year, the constitutional court ruled that parliament had acted unlawfully by shelving the panel’s report, and in July Ramaphosa blocked the parliamentary inquiry through a provincial court.

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