Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, is “ready” to respond to claims that he covered up a multi-million dollar cash robbery at his opulent farm, but only once investigations are complete.
In response to inquiries from lawmakers on Tuesday, Ramaphosa stated that he was working with the authorities but declined to give specifics about the break-in, which has given rise to accusations of corruption and money laundering. He continued by saying that he had been told to hold off until the detectives were done with their task.
“The most appropriate response from my side is that the law takes its own course,” Ramaphosa told a heated parliamentary session via video conference.
“I am ready to cooperate and also to explain myself,” he added to opposition MPs unhappy with his terse answers.
In June, the ombudsman’s office and the police opened an inquiry after Ramaphosa was charged with paying burglars to keep quiet after they found huge sums of cash at one of his residences.
Background
In February 2020, intruders allegedly came into a farm owned by the president in Phala Phala, in the country’s northeast, and stole the equivalent of over four million euros in cash, according to a complaint made by former South African intelligence chief Arthur Fraser.
The accusation claims that Mr. Ramaphosa orchestrated the kidnapping, interrogation, and eventual bribery of the criminals in order to conceal the crime from the police and the money from the tax authorities.
When first confronted with the claims of kidnapping and bribery, Mr. Ramaphosa originally confirmed the heist but insisted that he had already reported it to the police. He has also contested the cost, claiming that it was covered by the sale of animals.
The president, who has prioritized the battle against corruption and is looking for a nomination from the dominant ANC party to vie for re-election in the 2024 elections, is under pressure as a result of the case.
