A South African court has found Imanuwela David guilty of stealing more than $500,000 in cash from a farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He was also convicted of conspiring to break into the property with the intention of stealing.
The theft took place at Phala Phala farm in Limpopo province in February 2020. Prosecutors accused David of taking $580,000 from a sofa at the cattle farm. The money was allegedly followed by substantial spending, including purchases of several vehicles, diamond-encrusted Rolex watches and a house.
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 told the court that he had obtained the money through businesses involving diamonds and Bitcoin, but those claims were rejected. The court also found that David was the only one of the two convicted defendants to have any of the stolen money in his bank account.
Sentencing preparations are scheduled to take place on 13 November.
The case is part of the wider Farmgate scandal, which became public in 2022 after Arthur Fraser, South Africa’s former intelligence chief and 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 occurred but denied wrongdoing.
An independent panel later said the president could have questions to answer over the burglary. Parliament voted against establishing an impeachment inquiry. In May, the constitutional court ruled that parliament had acted unlawfully by setting aside the panel’s report, and in July Ramaphosa blocked the parliamentary inquiry through a provincial court.
Sources: BBC News World.