Mkhwebane foundation asks United States to probe Ramaphosa

By Palesa Matlala

• The foundation says United States laws may have been broken over the movement and storage of dollars at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.

• The money was stolen from Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm in 2020, but the foundation says its origin and movement remain unexplained.

Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s foundation has taken the Phala Phala scandal to the United States.

The Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane Foundation wants United States authorities to investigate President Cyril Ramaphosa over the dollars stolen from his private game farm in Bela-Bela, Limpopo.

The foundation, linked to the uMkhonto weSizwe Party MP and former Public Protector, says there are reasonable grounds to believe United States laws may have been broken.

It claims the case involves the transport, receipt and hiding of a large amount of United States currency at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.

The foundation says it has asked relevant United States agencies to open a formal investigation and, if the evidence supports it, pursue criminal charges and the seizure of assets.

The exact amount of money involved has long been disputed.

The foundation said evidence before the Section 89 Independent Panel showed that US$580,000, about R9.6-million at the time, was stolen from the farm in February 2020.

Ramaphosa has said the money came from a cash sale of game to Sudanese businessman Mustafa Mohamed Ibrahim Hazim.

But the foundation says the amount was far above the US$10,000 limit that triggers reporting duties under United States law.

It also accuses Ramaphosa of failing to declare the foreign currency.

The foundation said the South African Revenue Service confirmed in March 2023 that the stolen dollars had not been declared when they entered South Africa.

It said any lawful movement of that amount of foreign currency would have required customs declarations, exchange control compliance and tax reporting.

The foundation says this did not happen.

The Section 89 Independent Panel, chaired by former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, previously found that Ramaphosa may have committed a serious violation of the law.

The foundation said Mkhwebane’s 2023 report left foreign exchange compliance, tax compliance and possible criminality to other bodies.

It said those processes have still not given a clear answer.

“To date, no lawful account of the origin, transportation, or tax treatment of the US dollars has been provided,” the foundation said.

The foundation also accused Ramaphosa of possible bulk cash smuggling under United States law.

Shirley Willemse, chairperson of the foundation, said the letter had been sent to several whistleblowing agencies, including Crime Intelligence.

She said the hope was that South African agencies would refer the matter to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, because there was no direct link from South Africa.

Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa

Image source: File