Phala Phala N$10-million theft masterminds back in court

Three people facing charges in connection with the theft at South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in 2020 appeared in the Modimolle Regional Court on Tuesday.

Namibian citizen Imanuwela David, the man accused of being the mastermind behind the theft, was previously denied bail and has been in custody since his arrest last year.

David is charged alongside siblings Froliana Joseph, who was a domestic worker at the Limpopo farm, and her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph.

Ramaphosa’s former housekeeper, Froliana, and her brother, Ndilinasho, who are accused number two and three, were granted R5 000 and R10 000 bail, respectively, in November last year.

The state had not opposed bail when the siblings were released. Their stringent bail conditions include that they hand over their passports and may not leave the Bela-Bela area without informing the police.

In December, Bela-Bela magistrate Predeshni Ponnan ruled that David had not discharged the burden of proof placed on him that he is a good candidate for bail.

Limpopo’s spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, on Tuesday said the trio would return to court for a pretrial conference.

“The accused are facing the following charges: conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal, housebreaking with intent to steal, and theft and money laundering.”

The three suspects are facing several charges in connection with the theft of US$580 000 (around R10,87 million) on 9 February 2020 at the president’s farmhouse.

– IOL