Phala Phala: Gcaleka missed Ramaphosa's conflict of interest - Steenhuisen

JOHANNESBURG - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said that the acting public protector missed the fact that there was a conflict of interest regarding the president and the Phala Phala farm matter.
In a 191-page report in Eyewitness News's possession, President Cyril Ramaphosa was cleared of any wrongdoing, with Kholeka Gcaleka saying she found no basis to conclude that the president contravened the Executive Ethics Code.
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In February 2020, $580,000 of undeclared cash was stolen at his Limpopo game farm.

It was established that the money was for the sale of Ankole cattle from the farm to Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa.

Steenhuisen said public money was spent on pursuing the president's private case after the burglary.

“They conducted a cross-border raid and interrogated suspects. There was no case number that allowed them to do it. There was an abuse of police resources, as public money was spent on pursuing private money that was stolen from the president.”

Meanwhile, Congress of the People’s (Cope) Denis Bloem said a wider picture was needed.

“Cope calls upon all other institutions that were tasked to investigate the Phala Phala robbery to release their reports. It will give the country the assurance that they are not busy with a coverup scheme.”