Properties bought with Phala Phala’s proceeds under investigation

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is investigating properties bought with proceeds from the Phala Phala farm robbery, NPA Limpopo province spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi told The Namibian on Wednesday.

“We have referred the case to the assets forfeiture unit to investigate, if they can find the proceeds of crime, we will inform the public about it,” she said.

She did not say how many properties the NPA is looking at and whether it also targets properties bought in Namibia.
“We can’t disclose what you are looking for as it forms part of the investigations,” she said.

South African police on Sunday and Monday this week arrested Namibian born Imanuwela David (39) and his relative Froliana Joseph (30) in connection with the theft of U$580 000 from the Phala Phala farm. The money was allegedly hidden in a sofa.

David and Joseph are expected to make their second appearance in the Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court today. They were denied bail when they made their first appearance on Tuesday this week.

Phala Phala farm is owned by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. The robbery took place in February 2020.

Malabi-Dzhangi said in a statement on Monday that David and Joseph are charged with conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, housebreaking with intent to steal, housebreaking with intent to steal and theft and money laundering.

At the time of the robbery, Joseph worked at the Phala Phala farm as a nanny.

Former South African spy boss Arthur Fraser named David, Erkki Shikongo, Petrus Muhekeni, Urbanus Shaumbwako and Petrus Afrikaner as the suspected perpetrators of the heist.

In June last year, Fraser accused Ramaphosa of money laundering, corruption and covering up a large theft of cash. He said the money was U$4 million.

Speaking to The Namibian last year, Muhekeni denied being part of the gang, saying Shikongo used his driving licence when he bought a car with suspected stolen money.

However, according to Fraser’s affidavit, in mid-February 2020, Shikongo transferred R715 000 to a Cape Town car dealership and registered a VW Golf GTI in his name three days later.

News24 reported last year that deed records show Shikongo bought a N$1,7m flat in Blouberg, Cape Town, in March 2021, and a N$300 000 property in Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, in July 2020.

South African media reported that title deeds in South Africa show that Shikongo owned no properties before the burglary.

Shikongo also bought a guest house near Outapi in March 2020 for N$800 000 and a secondhand Toyota Land Cruiser for N$165‑000.

It is reported that David is suspected of using some of the “stolen” money to renovate his grandmother, Mwaambange Shikunda’s, house at Olukekete village in the Omusati region.

David is also said to have bought a VW Golf R among flashy cars he acquired at the time. He is also said to have bought a Mercedes-Benz and a N$5,5 million house in Rustenburg.

David was allegedly in the process of getting married in September 2020, but could not do this as he was jailed at Karasburg for nearly six months following his arrest in Windhoek in 2020.

David was arrested by the Namibian Police on 14 June 2020 in Windhoek, after he allegedly crossed into Namibia via the Orange River.
The police said they found him possessing a TAG Heuer watch worth over N$28 000, a Rolex watch worth N$290 000, a gold chain valued at N$170 000 and 11 US dollar notes.

Ramaphosa has been accused of paying David, Joseph and other accused persons around N$150 000 each to keep quiet.

Another accused man, Urbanus Shaumbwako, has been in a South African prison since October 2020. He was allegedly arrested with a bag containing 12 pistols, all with their serial numbers filed off. Some of the guns are said to belong to the Namibian Police.

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