The South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) has asked legal advisers to President Cyril Ramaphosa to respond by September 8 to requests for further information as it probes the theft of foreign currency from his game farm in January 2020, financial news service Bloomberg reports.
Meanwhile, the Presidency yesterday morning issued a statement rejecting what it called “claims made in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon” that Ramaphosa did not answer the question about the robbery at Phala Phala.
According to Bloomberg, the Sarb’s Financial Surveillance Department (FSD), which administers exchange-control regulations, expects to proceed with its investigation once the responses are received, Sarb Governor Lesetja Kganyago said in a letter to the Democratic Alliance on Tuesday.
Kganyago’s reply was in response to a letter by the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance, Joe Maswanganyi, requesting him to respond to correspondence by the DA and EFF for the Sarb to disclose what it was doing about possible foreign-exchange contraventions by Ramaphosa.
Read: EFF’s Shivambu rebukes Kganyago for ‘no comment’ on whether foreign currency regulations were violated
The FSD initially asked Ramaphosa’s advisers on June 20 for details on the origin of the foreign currency and any transaction to which it may pertain, according to Kganyago’s letter.
After being given 21 days to respond, and a 15-day extension, the department received responses from the advisers, to which the request for further information was sent, he said.
Kganyago said the Sarb has requested more information from the advisers by no later than September 8, after which it would “be in a position to progress its investigation into the matter”.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) said last week it has obtained 41 statements as part of its investigation into the matter.
‘Ramaphosa did answer the question’
In its statement, the Presidency said, “On a proper reading of the question, President Ramaphosa did, in fact, answer the question.”
It said Ramaphosa “responded that he stands ready to take the nation into his confidence and that he would do so through the due legal and parliamentary processes.
“He indicated that he has responded, and will continue to respond, to all the questions that have been put to him by the relevant authorities. He also indicated that he would co-operate with, and be fully accountable to, the section 89 process that Parliament has initiated.
“It is clear from the president’s reply that he considers it prudent to account on this matter through the due processes. This is consistent with what the president has said from the outset that there is no basis for the claims of criminal conduct that have been made against him, and that he will provide any information that the relevant authorities require.”
The statement published in full the question and Ramaphosa’s response. We are reproducing here so that you can decide for yourself whether or not the president answered the question.
QUESTION
- Whether, notwithstanding the ongoing investigations by the Hawks and the Acting Public Protector, he has considered it prudent to take the nation into his confidence on the serious allegations surrounding his Phala Phala farm (details furnished), by accounting to the people of South Africa and speaking on the specified issue in the National Assembly, where the elected representatives of the people can engage him on the scandal that has divided the country and caused immeasurable harm to the reputation of the Republic;
- Whether with the benefit of hindsight, he has found that he could have responded differently to the serious allegations surrounding him with regard to the entire saga around his Phala Phala farm?
REPLY
Honourable Members,
I know there is a great deal of interest in my answer to this question and I’d like to say that, without appearing that I do not want to answer questions, that I do not want to be accountable, I should say that as I have indicated before – in written replies to Members of this House, in the debate on the Presidency Budget Vote and in statements on various public platforms – I stand ready to cooperate with any investigations on this matter.
Investigations are ongoing by a variety of agencies and the focus that various agencies are putting on this matter demonstrates the importance of this matter and the way they are dealing with it.
I have responded, and will continue to respond, to all the questions that have been put to me by the relevant authorities.
In the course of what they are working on, the authorities have said that it is best if they deal with all these attendant matters relating to this theft that occurred at the farm and be able to address every issue. I have been counselled and advised that it is best to address these matters when those processes have been done. I stand ready, as people have said, to take the nation into my confidence. I stand ready to do so, to give an explanation. But for me, it has been important that I should give space, stand back and allow the various agencies to deal with these matters as thoroughly as I believe they are doing.
While there are clearly individuals and organisations that seek some mileage out of this issue, the most appropriate response from my side is for the law to take its course.
It is important for me that due process is followed, including the process that is going to unfold in Parliament. I stand ready to cooperate with that process as well and will be ready to be fully accountable.
I stand here as Cyril Ramaphosa not being unwilling to be accountable. I want to be fully accountable, and I am saying once again that it is important, and those who are dealing with these matters have said it is important that we be given time and space to deal with all the aspects of this matter.
