Phala Phala probe did not look into any foreign exchange violations: Gcaleka

Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka says the investigation into President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm break-in saga did not probe whether there was a violation of the foreign exchange laws.

Gcaleka has cleared Ramaphosa of violating the Executive Ethics Code following the theft of US dollars from his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo in February 2020. Gcaleka probed whether the president’s failure to report the matter to the police amounted to an abuse of power.

Gcaleka says they did not want to conduct a parallel investigation as the South African Reserve Bank is still investigating the matter.

“We couldn’t have made such a finding because we do not have a finding of the SARB. At the time when we concluded section 79 even at this stage, we do not have that report.”

Clarifying the scope of the investigation,  Gcaleka says her findings do not delve into the details of the sum of money stolen or where it came from.

“Determination of the origin, and the exact amount of money stolen from Phala Phala farm was not within the scope of the investigation of the Public Protector. It is therefore incorrect to summarise that the Public Protector seems to be satisfied with the quantity or origin of the foreign currency stolen.”

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