Who is the south african president

Johannesburg(CNN) South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has hit back at allegations of improper conduct over large amounts of cash stolen from his wildlife farm in 2020.

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South Africa's clean President Ramaphosa faces his own scandal
'No criminal conduct'
'Damaging country's image'

"Some are casting aspersions about me and money. I want to assure you that all this was money from proceeds from selling animals. I have never stolen money from anywhere. Be it from our taxpayers, be it from anyone. I have never done so. And will never do so," he said while addressing members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party on Sunday.

His words were greeted with applause.

The allegations came in a bombshell statement released by former spy chief Arthur Fraser last week, which has riveted South Africans and exposed the rifts in the ANC.

Fraser said he has opened criminal charges against Ramaphosa that, he claims, contain evidence of "photographs, bank accounts, video footage and names" related to multiple claims of wrongdoing, including kidnapping of suspects and bribery.

He has not publicly released any of the evidence he claims to possess.

In a publicly released statement, a police spokesperson confirmed that a case of money laundering, defeating the ends of justice and kidnapping was registered at the police station in Rosebank, Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon. The spokesperson said due process would follow.

In response to the allegations of crimes and a cover-up, the President's office released a statement acknowledging that the theft from Ramaphosa's farm took place and said he was "not involved in any criminal conduct and once again pledges his full cooperation with any police investigation." The President was out of the country at the time of the burglary, according to his spokesperson.

According to Fraser, the allegations relate to the theft of more than $4 million hidden at Ramaphosa's farm in the northern province of Limpopo, where the President was involved in a lucrative and legal big game trade for years. Ramaphosa is disputing that sum.

Fraser alleges the theft occurred with the collusion of a domestic worker and claims that the theft was concealed from police and the revenue service. He says Ramaphosa paid the culprits for their silence.

A spokesman for the President told South Africa's news24 outlet that the police protection unit was aware of the theft, but no case was registered with police.

The official opposition Democratic Alliance says it will be writing a letter to the tax revenue authority over the tax compliance of the apparent cash sale of wildlife. At this stage, no evidence has been released that indicates tax evasion.

"The President is facing a crisis of credibility and cannot hide behind procedural smokescreens to avoid presenting South Africans with the full truth around the money that was stolen from his farm, and the subsequent cover-up," John Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, said in a statement released Monday.

Fraser was the head of the State Security Agency (SSA) during part of the tenure of former President Jacob Zuma. During a far-reaching anti-corruption commission, witnesses accused Fraser and the SSA of targeting political opponents, including Ramaphosa. Fraser has denied those allegations repeatedly and said witnesses were lying.

In September last year, as the then National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Fraser was widely criticized for granting parole to Zuma for medical reasons.

Zuma was serving a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. His arrest is believed to be behind, at least in part, the widespread chaos and looting that ensued in July 2021.

The parole decisions were ruled unlawful by the High Court. Zuma's legal team is appealing the ruling.

Ramaphosa has made fighting corruption a centerpiece of his presidency. But that fight has exposed deep rifts within the ANC.

Last week, the presidency released an image showing a threat it said was sent to a senior government member demanding that the President not proceed with the findings of the anti-corruption commission and calling for the release of suspects arrested for the murder of a Department of Health whistleblower. The photo shows a single bullet with the letter.

Ramaphosa faces a fractious ANC elective conference in December. The President's office said it won't comment further on the theft cover-up allegations and said due process should be allowed to take its course.

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Office of the Spokesperson

August 9, 2022

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in Pretoria with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to strengthen the enduring ties between our countries and advance shared global priorities through the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue. The Secretary noted that South Africa — as a leading global voice, a strong constitutional democracy, a G-20 member, and a scientific, cultural, and tech leader — is essential to global progress on COVID-19, climate, global health, democracy, and regional security. The Secretary thanked President Ramaphosa for hosting him and his delegation in South Africa and emphasized that the United States is committed to continuing this robust, dynamic, and mutually beneficial partnership.

South Africa's clean President Ramaphosa faces his own scandal

Image source, Reuters

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa is in trouble.

A subdued response to a speech at a major policy conference on Friday indicated that all was not well. He admitted that his party, the governing African National Congress (ANC), was "at its weakest", but the president himself is in the firing line.

Four years ago, he replaced corruption-tainted Jacob Zuma as president on the promise of being clean.

But now he has his own potentially explosive corruption scandal. Dubbed "farmgate", the controversy surrounds an alleged cover-up of a robbery that took place at his private farm, Phala Phala, back in February 2020.

This is happening in a year when the ANC is set to pick its presidential candidate for the 2024 election and Mr Ramaphosa is under increasing scrutiny.

After dragging his feet, he finally responded to questions about the incident from the country's top anti-corruption official, known as the Public Protector.

Kholeka Gcaleka had threatened to subpoena the president after he failed to meet an initial deadline for the answers to be delivered.

The robbery and the alleged aftermath was first brought to light in June by Arthur Fraser, the country's former head of the State Security Agency.

The ex-spy chief, who is a close ally of Zuma, accused the president of kidnapping, bribery and acting unlawfully by allegedly authorising the pursuit of suspects who stole an estimated $4m (£3.2m) from his farm.

Mr Fraser further alleged that such a large amount of money, which was reportedly stuffed in cushions, could have been the proceeds from money laundering and corruption.

The theft was allegedly committed by Namibian nationals who conspired with a domestic worker on the farm.

'No criminal conduct'

As the stolen cash was reportedly in foreign currency, it means that exchange control laws could also have been contravened.

In an initial response, the president said that there was "no basis for the claims of criminal conduct".

Mr Ramaphosa's office confirmed that there was a robbery at his farm in Limpopo province "in which proceeds from the sale of game were stolen", but disputed the figure given by Mr Fraser.

Image source, Reuters

Image caption,

Former South African Presidents Thabo Mbkei (L) and Kgalema Motlanthe (R) shared a platform with Mr Ramaphosa at the ANC policy conference

Some of the questions posed by the Public Protector concerned whether the president violated the code of ethics and the constitution by concealing the break-in at his farm. She also wanted to know what steps the president took to ensure that the theft was thoroughly investigated.

The president has dismissed Mr Fraser's allegations as a political smear campaign against him by those opposed to his anti-corruption agenda. He also believes that his political opponents inside the ANC do not want him to have a second term in office.

In a speech two weeks ago, Mr Ramaphosa said he had "pledged his full co-operation to the investigation" and he was happy to be held accountable.

In a veiled declaration of an internal war within the ANC, the president also said he "would not allow the [corruption] allegations to deter me from what needs to be done to rebuild our economy, and to deter me and discourage me from the work I have to do". Mr Ramaphosa was cheered on by his supporters.

According to ANC rules, anyone charged with corruption or other crimes must step down while investigations take place.

Even though the president has not been formally charged with any crimes, supporters of Zuma want him to resign.

Last month, hundreds of them protested at the ANC's headquarters, demanding his arrest and resignation.

Zuma, whose corruption trial is set to restart this month, enjoys the support of a left-wing ANC faction and his supporters are still smarting from his jailing last year for contempt of court for failing to attend a separate inquiry into corruption during his presidency. He served nearly two months of a 15-month sentence before being released on medical parole.

Their resignation demand was further driven home when some delegates later booed Mr Ramaphosa at a conference in KwaZulu-Natal province - a Zuma stronghold.

'Damaging country's image'

The opposition is also turning up the heat on the president.

Bantu Holomisa, the leader of the United Democratic Movement, wrote to the speaker of parliament demanding that the president be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation against him.

"The allegations have been greatly destructive of the country's image and likely to affect investor confidence negatively, given that President Ramaphosa has acted as a champion of good governance," Mr Holomisa said.

Even though President Ramaphosa does have questions to answer about the dollars stolen from his farm, Mr Fraser's timing is widely seen as suspicious in light of the ANC's leadership contest.

South Africans have grown accustomed to explosive scandals, conspiracies and mudslinging ahead of the brutal race for the ANC's top position.

This year is no different.

In December, the ANC will hold an elective conference to choose who will be its next presidential candidate and tensions are guaranteed.