JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South African prosecutors have decided not to charge President Cyril Ramaphosa over a theft from his game farm that nearly cost him his position two years ago.
The scandal, dubbed “Farmgate”, came to light when a former intelligence official told police in June 2022 about the incident and accused Ramaphosa of money laundering, corruption and covering up the theft.
Ramaphosa, a wealthy businessman before he became president, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
“The decision not to prosecute was taken … after a careful assessment of all available evidence presented to the prosecutors,” the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Limpopo province said in a statement late on Thursday.
Based on the evidence that was available, there was no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution, the statement said.
The country’s anti-corruption watchdog cleared Ramaphosa last year of a potential conflict of interest related to the affair, in which thieves allegedly made off with large sums of foreign currency hidden in furniture on his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.
Ramaphosa’s future hung in the balance in late 2022 after a report found evidence he may have committed misconduct over the scandal. But his party rallied around him, stopping an impeachment process from being launched, and he was subsequently re-elected for another five years at the helm of the African National Congress party.
Ramaphosa has acknowledged there was a break-in at the farm in Limpopo, but he said the amount stolen was much lower than alleged by the former intelligence official and came from the sale of game.
Three suspects accused of being involved in the break-in appeared in court this week. Their case was postponed until next month.
