The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has dismissed Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka’s preliminary report on the theft of foreign currency at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm.
The Phala Phala report was leaked
Gcaleka’s draft report on the Phala Phala farm scandal was leaked on Friday. Initial reports cleared Ramaphosa of wrongdoing in the theft of $580 000 (about R10 million) at the presidential farm in Limpopo, which occurred in February 2020.
Also read: Ramaphosa has 10 days to respond to initial PP report on Phala Phala
However, the 191-page report made damning findings against members of the South African Police Service (Saps) who were in the presidential protection unit.
The members involved were Major General Wally Rhoode, who was head of Ramaphosa’s protection unit at the time, and Sergeant Hlulani Rekhoto, who investigated the house break-ins.
‘Predictable results’
In a statement, the EFF said the outcome of the report from the Office of the Public Protector was “predictable”.
The Red Berets described the initial findings of the report as “absurd” and “irrational”, and later accused Gcaleka of being arrested by the president.
The party accused the acting public protector of waiting almost nine months to produce the report, saying that he stopped the release to the public “because he knew that he would produce results that do not correspond to basic logic and objective reality”
RELATED: ‘The less said, the better’: Ramaphosa notes PP report that cleared him of Phala Phala theft
“Gcaleka deliberately used the scapegoat of Cyril Ramaphosa, and accredited the misuse of resources of the South African Police Service (Saps) to General Wally Rhoode, as if he had the ability to operate outside the direction of his principal in carrying out criminal investigations to recover the stolen money. at Phala Phala farm.
“It is unlikely that Rhoode will conduct a full investigation into the matter, without the direct supervision of the president himself,” the EFF said in a statement.
“Secondly, Rhoode is not a law enforcement agency, which can report crimes, and cause legitimate cases to be opened with Saps.
“Thus the claim that Ramaphosa reported the theft only because he told a single police officer on the police detail is not ridiculous, to say the least.”
‘Affirmation of distortion’
The EFF said Gcaleka’s draft report “does nothing but confirm the distortions that Cyril Ramaphosa uttered on a public platform to avoid accountability”.
The party has called on Rhoode and Ramaphosa’s adviser and close political ally, Bejani Chauke, to tell the truth about who gave the directive to carry out the criminal investigation being carried out to try to recover the US dollars stolen in Phala Phala.
“He will face the full force of the law to protect his cover-up, if he does not reveal the basic fact that he was directed by Ramaphosa to commit illegal acts.
“It is now clear that the Office of the Public Protector was compromised and controlled by Cyril Ramaphosa’s certified spies.”
Read: EFF, DA want committee to investigate Phala Phala, ANC MP vows to ‘defeat’
The Office of the Public Protector confirmed on Saturday that the preliminary findings of the Phala Phala investigation were sent to all affected parties, including Ramaphosa, on Friday, regarding the Public Protector Act.
The office said all complainants and affected people have 10 days to make representations to the public protector about the draft document.
The complainants in the matter are African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyolwethu Zungula, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen, and two other individuals who are not Members of Parliament.
Ndili Msoki, the acting spokesperson for the public protector, confirmed that disclosure of the contents of the report was prohibited by law.
‘The less said, the better’
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said he had noted the initial findings of the report, echoing the President’s statement on the matter.
“I have taken note of the report and that is all I can say about the rules of the public protector that the preliminary report has been issued,” the president said.
“The less said, the better because of him [advocate Gcaleka] still have to issue a final report,” Ramaphosa added.
Ramaphosa spoke on Saturday in KwaDukuza on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal during the African National Congress (ANC) election campaign.
Earlier, Ramaphosa’s spokesman Vincent Magwenya said the report on the Phala Phala scandal vindicated the president’s long-held view that he “was not involved in any wrongdoing, nor did he violate his oath of office”.
“However, the president is a victim of a crime that should be reported to the relevant authorities,” Magwenya said.
Compiled by Flame Prayer
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