Former President Thabo Mbeki has distanced the African National Congress from the controversial Phala Phala scandal, saying the matter concerns President Cyril Ramaphosa in his private capacity as a businessman and should not consume the governing party.
Speaking on the long running controversy surrounding the theft of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo, Mbeki said Parliament was correct to allow due processes to continue in order to establish the facts.
“I think the speaker is actually correct in saying, okay, Parliamentarians, let’s constitute this committee and this committee must do its work,” Mbeki said.
“The President must conduct as a businessman, as he has said himself: ‘I’m a businessman. I breed cattle. I breed wildlife. I sell. I buy.’ It’s fine. That’s his business as a businessman. It has got nothing to do with the ANC. I don’t know why the ANC gets preoccupied with it. It’s got nothing to do with us. It’s of a businessman who’s doing his thing.”
Mbeki’s remarks revive debate around one of the most politically damaging scandals faced by Ramaphosa since taking office in 2018.
The Phala Phala matter stems from the theft of a large sum of United States dollars from the president’s private game farm, located near Bela-Bela in Limpopo, in February 2020. The incident remained largely unknown to the public until former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser laid criminal charges against Ramaphosa in June 2022.
Fraser alleged that approximately $4 million in cash hidden inside furniture at the farm had been stolen and claimed the crime was concealed from police and tax authorities. He further accused Ramaphosa and members of his presidential protection unit of kidnapping and interrogating suspects linked to the theft.
Ramaphosa denied wrongdoing and insisted the money originated from the legitimate sale of buffalo to a Sudanese businessman. The president maintained that the amount stolen was significantly lower than figures publicly alleged and said the proceeds were from lawful business transactions connected to his wildlife operation.
The scandal triggered intense political pressure within the ANC and opposition parties, with some parties calling for Ramaphosa’s resignation. In late 2022, an independent panel appointed by Parliament found there may have been grounds to answer for possible constitutional violations, prompting opposition parties to push for impeachment proceedings.
However, Ramaphosa survived the political storm after the ANC used its parliamentary majority to vote against adopting the panel’s report. The Constitutional Court later dismissed attempts to halt parliamentary processes related to the matter, effectively allowing oversight mechanisms to continue examining the issue.
Several investigations were subsequently launched by different state institutions, including the South African Reserve Bank, the South African Revenue Service and the Public Protector.
While Ramaphosa has consistently rejected allegations of criminal conduct, the Phala Phala controversy has remained a source of political tension inside and outside the ANC, raising questions about transparency, foreign currency declarations and the separation between public office and private business interests.
Mbeki’s latest comments suggest senior ANC veterans increasingly view the controversy as a personal legal and business matter rather than an issue that should define the governing party itself.