Illustrative image | Sources: President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Waldo Swiegers / Bloomberg via Getty Images) | pngtree | flyclipart A damning report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has revealed how the 2020 theft of $580,000 (about R9-million) at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm was mishandled by members of the Presidential Protection Service.
Ipid recommended disciplinary action against Major General Wally Rhoode, head of the Presidential Protection Service, and Constable Hlulani Rekhoto, finding “information of evidential value” that both breached police rules and legal obligations.
The police watchdog makes no recommendation or findings regarding Ramaphosa, who seemingly ordered what Ipid has now found was a private investigation into his “private business” matter; nor Ramaphosa’s advisor Bejani Chauke, who is also the Presidential envoy for Africa, whom Ipid found had travelled to Upington en route to Namibia using SAPS’s VIP unit resources without any official authorisation.
In response, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said: “According to the Public Protector’s Report, there was ‘no link or nexus’ that could be established between Dr Chauke’s ‘trip to Namibia and the investigation that was conducted by PPS’ following the burglary at the Phala Phala farm.”
Basic failure
At the heart of the Ipid report, completed in 2023 but classified at the time, and recently obtained by News24 through a request under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, is a finding that police failed in their most basic duty – to report a crime – and instead conducted an “unlawful investigation without any case docket or inquiry file registered on CAS with a case number of a specific police station”.
The report states that Rhoode was informed in 2020 by Ramaphosa that money from the sale of animals was missing from his farm, and Rhoode promised to report the incident, but did not, violating Section 13 (2) SAPS Act 68 of 1995, which compels officers to report an offence as soon as possible.
By law, Rhoode was supposed to report the matter to his direct line manager, the then National Commissioner General Khehla Sitole, but instead, he claimed to have reported it to the late Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi, who then gave him the green light to investigate the matter.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/maxresdefault.jpg "Head of the Presidential Protection Services Wally Rhoode. (Photo: ScreengrabsSABC)")
“Major General WP Rhoode failed to register or ensure that a case docket of Housebreaking and Theft was registered after the President reported a crime to him, to be investigated by dedicated investigator (s) attached to a specific SAPS Investigating Unit,” reads the report.
Rhoode admitted in his statement to Ipid that it was beyond his scope of work to be allocated matters or case dockets to conduct criminal investigations. However, he proceeded to conduct the “unlawful” investigation without the knowledge of Sitole.
In March 2020, Rhoode interviewed the alleged suspects, Floriana Joseph and David Joseph, on the theft at Phala Phala. During the course of the interview, a man only identified as Nick arrived with another suspect, named as Thomas, whose hands were tied at his back with cable ties, according to the report.
“The only inference one can draw is that Mr Nick was part of the team that was set up by Major General WP Rhoode to trace and track the suspects involved in Phala Phala farm theft, thus insinuating the unlawful apprehension and interrogations of the alleged suspects.”
On 7 March 2020, Rhoode wrote to senior officials requesting that Constable Rekhoto and his driver, Jabu Mahlangu, travel from Pretoria to Cape Town for meetings with the Presidency. This happened during the Covid-19 pandemic when physical meetings were discouraged under regulations.
“This instruction to travel to Cape Town came after Constable HH Rekhoto was informed by Mr David Joseph (his alleged source) on 04-03-2020 that suspects of Phala Phala are in Cape Town. This information was also communicated to Major General WP Rhoode by Constable HH Rekhoto, hence he instructed him to come to Cape Town, under pretext that he was going to attend meetings with the office of the presidency,” the report reads.
In his statement to the public protector, Rhoode admitted to sending Constable Rekhoto and a driver to Cape Town in March 2020 to follow up on information about suspects linked to the Phala Phala farm theft, but falsely recorded the purpose of the trip as official meetings with the Presidency.
‘Official’ meetings
“Based on Constable HH Rekhoto’s investigation notes, he was well aware that a crime was committed at the President’s farm. This note also confirms that he was conducting investigations with Major General WP Rhoode.”
“…Constable HH Rekhoto failed or ignored to interpret information received and advise Major General WP Rhoode that this matter needs to be reported to the police for further investigation purposes as it is beyond their scope of work,” Ipid found.
Furthermore, Ipid found that Rekhoto lied about meetings he had attended and never declared that he had been instructed by Rhoode to identify and survey addresses of Phala Phala farm theft suspects in Cape Town.
Pressure on the president
The African Transformation Movement (ATM’s) Vuyo Zungula, one of the initial complainants in the matter, has since called for heads to roll.
“Our view as the party is to say, the political heads that gave an unlawful instruction that culminated in Rhoode taking part in an illegal investigation, torturing people, abusing state resources, must take the responsibility and that person is President Ramaphosa,” Zungula said.
With the Cape Town trip approved on false pretences, recorded as eight days of meetings with the Presidency during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ipid found that this was an abuse of power and resources.
“Investigation further revealed that Major General WP Rhoode abused his power and resources of the SAPS. According to the then National Commissioner: General KJ Sitole, Major General WP Rhoode is not supposed to have a dedicated driver, unless it is by means of a submission of a motivated application outlining a specific situational incidence. According to General KJ Sitole, he does not recall approving such application.”
Between 7 and 13 March 2020, Rhoode sent his Pretoria driver, identified as Jabu Mahlangu, to Cape Town to perform driving duties, even though staff there were available. He made a similar request again from 24 to 28 June 2020, when a warrant officer, identified as NA Ruiters, was sent from Cape Town to Pretoria and then Upington, to act as his driver.
“This task could have been performed by Mr Jabu Mahlangu or any other person within his office in Pretoria. This conduct by Major General WP Rhoode amounts to Fruitless Wasteful and Expenditure, he has a driver in Pretoria, but he instructs another person to fly from Cape Town to perform similar duties.”
Ipid also found that Rhoode travelled to Upington en route to Namibia and stayed at the Schroderhuis Guest House with Chauke, using a state vehicle. However, in the memo submitted by Rhoode for approval from General Sitole, there was no request to cover Chauke’s expenses.
“According to General KJ Sitole, Policy on Risk Management System: Protection Packages (RIMAS) Dr Bejani Chauke is not permitted to use resources of SAPS VIP Unit, as he is not mentioned as a VIP in the abovementioned Policy. Dr Bejani Chauke is supposed to use Presidential budget to travel, unless directed by President or by the security situational demand.”
The ATM’s Zungula believes that while other processes, including the Ipid report, have almost exonerated Ramaphosa, “It is very clear that there was concealment, there was a coordinated effort to manage the process and protect it from being known by citizens, because had it been reported to any of these institutions, the president and his stuff would have been exposed for what they did”.
Throughout its investigation, Ipid found, “Major General WP Rhoode name-drop[ped] the President’s name every time he conducted his unauthorised investigations into Phala Phala farm theft. Whenever he completed itineraries he will use the President’s name so that he cannot be asked questions.”
Ipid has recommended disciplinary action against Rhoode and Rekhoto for multiple breaches of SAPS disciplinary rules, including failing to comply with legal duties, violating the Code of Conduct, falsifying travel documents by misrepresenting the purpose of their trips, and misusing state resources, which resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
On Friday, ActionSA, which fought for the release of the report, said “both the leadership of the South African Police Service and the President must now account for their failure to act against Rhoode, Rekhoto and Chauke. This failure, in the case of the President, is compounded by reports that his name was repeatedly invoked during the investigation to deter scrutiny of its irregular nature.”
Phala Phala roots
The matter dates back to June 2022, when former correctional services commissioner Arthur Fraser filed a criminal complaint alleging that Ramaphosa concealed the theft of millions of dollars hidden in couches and mattresses at Phala Phala.
Fraser claimed $4-million had been stolen, sparking criminal investigations and a political storm that tested Ramaphosa’s presidency and fuelled calls for his resignation.
That storm culminated in the appointment of an independent panel under Section 89 of the Constitution to determine whether Ramaphosa had violated the law or the Code of Executive Ethics.
The panel found prima facie evidence suggesting he may have acted inconsistently with his office. Yet, when the report was tabled in Parliament in December 2022, the ANC majority closed ranks: 214 MPs voted against its adoption, effectively blocking an impeachment inquiry.
Although President Ramaphosa survived the impeachment attempt, both the ATM and EFF continued to pursue the matter, taking it to the Constitutional Court more than a year ago.
This week, the Office of the Chief Justice, through Chief Registrar Simoné-Lanique Tjamela, informed the EFF that the court is in the final stages of preparing its judgment, which is expected to be delivered within a month. DM