DA urges Parliament to summon Bheki Cele over cover-up allegations on Ramaphosa farm theft

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for Police Minister Bheki Cele to be summoned before Parliament to be grilled over President Cyril Ramaphosa’s $4 million theft saga.

The DA has questioned why the police’s Presidential Protection Services was not carrying out its duties at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo when the theft took place in February 2020.

The opposition party had written to Cele asking whether the security breach at the farm was included in the annual report of the South African Police Service (Saps).

In his response, the Police Minister said: “The security breach was in the [Saps] 2019/20 annual report as the President’s farm in Phala Phala was not protected by Saps Presidential Protection Services. Phala Phala farm only became the responsibility of Saps in late 2020, and therefore, 2021/22 financial year [first] quarter it became part of reporting.”

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Friday, DA MP Andrew Whitfield said Cele’s reply raised suspicion as there were cover-up allegations of the farm theft against the police.

“[The police] were only deployed there after the fact… [this] means they had every right to be there prior to that the incident.

“And the question is that why they were not there? Why were they not protecting Phala Phala if they can now legitimately say that [it] is their responsibility. It would have been their responsibility throughout the presidency of Ramaphosa,” he said.

Whitfield further argued that the fact that the president didn’t dispute that theft took place, although he denied criminal conduct on his part, “gave rise to the conclusion that there was a cover-up”.

The party wrote to the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on police, chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson to summon Cele.

Along with the Public Protector, the DA has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States (US), the South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to investigate the Phala Phala theft.

The Public Protector’s office is already investigating Ramaphosa after the African Transformational Movement (ATM) filed a similar complaint.

The office, on 7 June, reportedly sent a list of questions to Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, asking the police commissioner to provide a detailed statement explaining whether the alleged robbery had been reported to the police.

Masemola was also asked to ensure that Presidential Protection Unit head, Wally Rhoode provide an affidavit over his alleged role in the crime.

Cover-up claims

When former State Security Agency (SSA) director-general Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa, he alleged that, among other things, Rhoode was involved in the alleged cover-up of the theft.

Last month, the Namibian Police Force (Nampol) revealed that they met with the South African police at “no man’s land” on 19 June 2020 following the arrest of one of the suspects connected to the theft.

The meeting had resolved that Nampol and Saps would investigate the matter within their jurisdiction.

The top brass in the Saps’ Crime Intelligence Division were tasked with tracing the stolen money and the suspects behind the theft, according to a local publication.

The publication also reported that Masemola, and his predecessor, Khehla Sitole, knew about the theft and the alleged cover-up.

Meanwhile, the ATM has since called for the officials to be suspended, pending an investigation.

ATM President Vuyolwethu Zungula will give a sworn statement to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on Monday.

Ipid previously indicated that the ATM must do so before deciding whether the directorate will “fully” investigate the police’s role in the Phala Phala theft and other related matters.

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