The bills in the sofa are the eye of the storm in the case that threatens to bring down President Cyril Ramaphosa. He himself has admitted that large sums were hidden in the sofa at the president’s farm Phala Phala.
But it is also almost the only thing that everyone involved agrees on. It may have been 580,000 US dollars (6 million kroner) in cash. Or almost ten times as much.
According to Ramaphosa, it was payment for 20 buffaloes that Sudanese businessman Mustafa Mohamed Ibrahim Hazim bought on Christmas 2019. But neither Hazim nor any of his associates have been traced. And physically, the buffalo never changed hands, but were left at Phala Phala.
Beats credibility
— It is a laughable account. Who believes such a story? says Henning Melber, political scientist attached to the Nordic Africa Institute.
— It really strikes against the integrity and credibility of Ramaphosa.
Cyril Ramaphosa tries to defend himself against the allegations in Parliament in Cape Town. Picture from September.
A few months later, the notes in the sofa were reported to have been stolen. And shortly thereafter, suspected petty thieves appeared in neighboring Namibia, armed with $100 bills as well as Rolex watches and other valuables.
However, Ramaphosa never reported the theft to the police. He is accused of instead asking Wally Rhoode, a general who led the president’s bodyguard, to discreetly handle the case.
Silent for two years
According to unconfirmed information in the Namibian media, among others, a cleaning lady at Phala Phala was the sister of one of the thieves, and through her, Rhoode lured the perpetrators back to the farm. There they are said to have been locked up, effectively kidnapped, and either intimidated or bribed into silence.
And it was quiet. The whole drama remained unknown for two years. But in June of this year, the president was reported, for kidnapping and cover-up, by a certain Arthur Fraser.
On the one hand, his words carry weight, as he was head of state security in South Africa. On the other hand, he is closely allied with Jacob Zuma, Ramaphosa’s successor in the presidency and a bitter political rival.
Political bomb
The report led to a parliamentary inquiry whose report now leaves Ramaphosa’s political future hanging in the balance. But even here there is a fire pit.
— One of the three judges appointed as investigators has previously been a lawyer for one of Ramaphosa’s strongest opponents within the (ruling party) ANC. Outsiders have asked whether this is not a conflict of interest, and whether the judge should have resigned, says Henning Melber.
The report hit the other week like a political bomb. Rumors quickly began to circulate that Ramaphosa was leaning towards resigning immediately. But soon, when everyone had time to take a closer look at the harsh words of the report, everything turned around again.
— Ramaphosa announced that he will defend himself against the report in court. It is in line with the line of several experts that the report is in fact thin. Legally speaking, it does not hold tightly, according to Henning Melber.
The affair can be seen as a potentially decisive chapter in an internal power struggle within the ANC (African National Congress), the party that has ruled South Africa since liberation from apartheid almost 30 years ago. Jacob Zuma’s phalanx is still going strong, looking to make a comeback after he was forced out in 2018.
Still mystery
The mold and tyranny under Zuma was so strong that it still characterizes the debate, according to Melber.
— Put into perspective, 600,000–700,000 US dollars is coffee money compared to what South Africans have been forced to see happen in previous years.
— The mood in society seems to be that a lot of people want to see Ramaphosa succeed because of the lack of alternatives.
Where the money in the sofa came from, and where it went, is still a mystery. But no one doubts that the country is at rock bottom. And Ramaphosa may be weak, but at least symbolizes a willingness to do something about it.
— For South Africans, the Phala Phala affair is just one example in the series of the situation the country is in. Even the president puts his money in a sofa.