Cyril Ramphosa, South Africa’s president, has denied any wrongdoing
A South African court has convicted a man for stealing more than $580,000 in cash from a property belonging to President Cyril Ramaphosa, a crime that later sparked a major political controversy known as the Farmgate scandal.
Imanuwela David was found guilty on Monday of theft and plotting to break into Phala Phala farm in Limpopo Province to commit the offence in 2020.
Another suspect, Froliana Joseph, who worked as a cleaner at the residence, was convicted of conspiring to carry out the burglary.
However, her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was cleared of all allegations.
Prosecutors said David entered the property in February 2020 and removed the foreign currency hidden inside a sofa.
Following the incident, he allegedly embarked on extravagant purchases, acquiring three Mercedes-Benz vehicles, including one for his girlfriend, a Porsche, two Volkswagen cars, luxury Rolex timepieces decorated with diamonds and a residential property.
During the trial, David maintained that his wealth came from commercial activities involving diamond trading and cryptocurrency investments.
However, the court dismissed his explanation, noting that he was the only convicted individual whose bank account contained proceeds from the stolen money.
The court is expected to begin sentencing proceedings on November 13.
The incident became a national political issue in 2022 after former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser publicly accused Ramaphosa of concealing the burglary from law enforcement agencies and tax authorities.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the robbery occurred but rejected allegations of misconduct.
An independent parliamentary panel subsequently raised concerns about the president’s possible constitutional breaches, prompting calls for an impeachment investigation.
However, lawmakers voted against setting up the proposed inquiry.
The controversy resurfaced when South Africa’s Constitutional Court ruled in May 2026 that Parliament had unlawfully discarded the panel’s findings.
In July, President Ramaphosa secured a provincial court order that prevented the parliamentary investigation from proceeding.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong