Decision not to prosecute Ramaphosa was taken after 'careful assessment of all available evidence' - NPA
The head of state was accused of being part of a cover-up of a burglary at his Limpopo farm in 2020 when half a million dollars in undeclared game proceeds were stolen from the property.
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa engaging with members of the media following his Oral Reply to questions to the nation on various national developments during the hybrid sitting of the National Council of Provinces held at the National Council of Provinces in Cape Town on 12 September 2024. Picture: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has been spared a political and legal blow after the director of public prosecutions (DPP) in Limpopo declined to prosecute him in the controversial Phala Phala saga.
Ramaphosa's name appeared in a docket amid a probe into alleged corruption and money laundering after former spy boss, Arthur Fraser, opened a case against him last year.
The head of state was accused of being part of a cover-up of a burglary at his Limpopo farm in 2020 when half a million dollars in undeclared game proceeds were stolen from the property.
The highly publicised burglary almost turned Ramaphosa's political career on its head, with calls for him to resign for allegedly breaching the ethics codes in the aftermath of the crime.
But a probe into the matter has found insufficient evidence of corruption and money laundering on his part.
Investigations also covered any possible contravention of the income tax and the exchange control regulations.
National spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mthunzi Mhaga: "The decision not to prosecute was taken by the DPP after a careful assessment of all available evidence presented to the prosecutors by the DPCI. She concluded that there is no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution based on evidence contained in the docket."
Ramaphosa's former head of security, Wally Rhoode, faced similar charges but was also cleared by the Hawks in June.
Meanwhile, the case against three people accused of breaking into Ramaphosa's farm is set down for a pre-trial hearing in November.
The trio appeared at the Modimolle Regional Court in Limpopo earlier this week on several charges, including money laundering and housebreaking.
Imannuela David, as well as siblings, Floriana and Ndilinasho Joseph, are accused of being behind the theft of cash stuffed under sofa cushions on the property.