A court in South Africa found Imanuwela David guilty on Monday of stealing more than $500,000 (£372,822) in cash from a farm owned by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. David was also found guilty of conspiracy to break and enter with intent to steal at the Phala Phala farm in Limpopo province in 2020. The case is part of the scandal known as "Farmgate", which has drawn President Ramaphosa into a recall saga.
According to the indictment, David broke into the cattle farm in February 2020 and took $580,000 (£432,000) in cash from a sofa on the property. He then went on a spending spree, buying a number of cars including three Mercedes – one of which was for his girlfriend – a Porsche, two Volkswagen cars, diamond-encrusted Rolex watches and a house. David told the court that he had earned the money through businesses including diamonds and Bitcoin, a claim the court rejected. The court also found that David was the only one of the two convicted individuals who had any of the stolen money in his bank account.
Alongside David, Froliana Joseph, a cleaner on the estate, was found guilty of conspiracy to break and enter with intent to steal. Her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was acquitted of all charges.
The theft remained largely unknown until 2022, when it was uncovered by Arthur Fraser, the former head of South Africa's intelligence service and an ally of former President Jacob Zuma. Fraser claimed that Ramaphosa had hidden the theft from police and tax authorities. Ramaphosa admitted that the theft had occurred but denied any wrongdoing. An independent commission established in the same year found that Ramaphosa might have questions to answer regarding the break-in.
Parliament voted against launching a recall investigation. In May this year, the Constitutional Court ruled that parliament had acted unlawfully by delaying the commission's report. In July, Ramaphosa blocked a parliamentary investigation through the High Court.
