Ramaphosa: No instruction for anyone to 'go rogue' on Phala Phala thieves
President Cyril Ramaphosa said he didn't instruct anyone to hunt down the perpetrators behind the burglary at his Phala Phala farm in 2020.
Ramaphosa has applied to the Constitutional Court for direct access in a bid to take the panel's report, which found that he may have violated the Constitution, on judicial review.
Member of the Presidential Protection Unit, General Wally Rhoode, was allegedly on a clandestine mission to find the burglars behind the thief at Phala Phala in Limpopo.
Former spy boss Arthur Fraser detailed the claims in an affidavit to the independent parliamentary panel that probed Ramaphosa's handling of the crime.
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The panel found that Ramaphosa has a case to answer after he was found wanting regarding, firstly, acting in a way that is inconsistent with their office and, secondly, exposing himself to a situation involving the risk of a conflict between his official responsibilities and private interest.
The panel found that Ramaphosa allegedly instructing Rhoode to probe the crime at his private game farm and not the authorities, constituted misconduct.
Fraser gave a grilling account of the events that transpired after rogue agents pounced on the alleged perpetrators in signed affidavits.
The suspects were allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, tortured, and extorted.
"I don't understand how they blame me," Ramaphosa wrote in his notion of motion to the apex court.
Ramaphosa denied that he asked Rhoode to "personally undertake the investigation", while he left it up to him to take the matter further.
Rhoode is believed to have reported the matter to the deputy commissioner of police.
"There is, in any event, no evidence that I was complicit in any roque investigation," Ramaphosa continued.
He believes his efforts to solicit assistance from the President of Namibia to arrest the suspects should be lauded.
A Hollywood Movie: The Phala Phala Heist
The plot thickened after new details emerged about the burglary. The alleged mastermind of the heist, Imanuwela David, had, through a voice note, confessed to how he went on a shopping spree with his loot, which he shared with the alleged accomplice, the president's domestic worker.
Namibian media subsequently reported that the Namibian Police Force had met with their South African counterparts in June 2020 at "no man's land" near Noordoewer, in southern Nambia, to share information.
The Namibian government struck back and denied the allegation that they are doing 'dirty work' for South Africa.
David was arrested on charges of violating the Immigration Control Act. The police confirmed several items were found on David including Rolex and TAG Hauer watches, a gold chain and about $300 Namibian dollars.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa says he had 'no duty' to report Phala Phala theft
Ramaphosa denied the claims in his notice to the Constitutional Court.
He stated that the clandestine informal investigating team meeting that occurred in no man's land and the use of inception devices are based on Mr Fraser "speculation, fiction and conjecture".
"Yet the rules of Parliament require it to focus on evidence."