OMM Newsroom
A South African court has found Imanuwela David guilty of stealing $580,000 in cash from a farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa, a case that drew the president into an impeachment controversy, according to BBC World.
David was convicted on Monday of theft and conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal at Phala Phala farm in Limpopo province in 2020.
Froliana Joseph, a cleaner at the property, was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal. Her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was acquitted of all charges.
David was accused of breaking into the cattle farm in February 2020 and taking $580,000 (£432,000) from a sofa. He later spent money on several cars, including three “Mercedes” vehicles — one for his girlfriend — a “Porsche”, two “Volkswagen” vehicles, diamond-encrusted “Rolex” watches and a house.
David told the court he had earned the money through businesses involving diamonds and Bitcoin. The court rejected his claim and found that, among the two convicted defendants, only David had any of the stolen cash in his bank account.
Sentencing proceedings are due to take place on 13 November.
The case, known as the “Farmgate” scandal, came to public attention in 2022, when former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser, an ally of former president Jacob Zuma, alleged that Ramaphosa had concealed the theft from the police and tax authorities.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the theft had taken place but denied wrongdoing. An independent panel that year said he could have questions to answer over the burglary, but MPs voted against setting up an impeachment inquiry.
In May this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had acted unlawfully by shelving the panel’s report. In July, Ramaphosa blocked the parliamentary inquiry through a provincial court.
