THE EFF expressed shock amid receiving a response from the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) with regards to the foreign currency which was kept by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Phala Phala Farm, Limpopo.
This is after the MP for EFF Floyd Shivambu received a letter on Tuesday from Sarb governor Lesetja Kganyago regarding its request to probe Phala Phala and the origins of the foreign currency.
EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the Sarb had effectively stated that it had no knowledge of the foreign currency kept by Ramaphosa in his mattresses.
“This is confirmed by the fact that the response by the SARB, still seeks to establish the origin and underlying transaction of the foreign currencies, meaning the money was never declared to them as a regulator of foreign currency,” Thambo said.
He said the following sentence, which is contained in the response to the EFF confirms that the Sarb did not get any declaration from Ramaphosa.
It reads: “Following the allegations presented in media reports regarding the alleged theft of foreign currency at the Phala Phala farm, the department requested the legal advisers of the president, on June 20, to provide information and details regarding the origin of the foreign currency and any underlying transaction that it may pertain to.”
Thambo said the fact that the Sarb still seeks to determine the origin and transaction that underlies the millions in foreign currency, means that it had no prior knowledge of the money which was allegedly laundered by Ramaphosa.
“Logic then follows that the South African Revenue Services (Sars) equally has no knowledge of the money, meaning Ramaphosa has evaded his tax obligations,” Thambo said.
He said the EFF had been consistent in raising concerns regarding the origin of the money which was stolen at Phala Phala Farm and whether it was declared to the relevant financial authorities.
“This is because Ramaphosa insists on portraying himself as a victim of crime, while the money which was stolen from him were proceeds of crime,” Thambo said.
He added: “The response by the Sarb which concedes that the institution has no knowledge whatsoever of the presence of foreign currency at Ramaphosa’s farm, confirms that Ramaphosa is indeed a money laundering president”.
Thambo said the fact that it took Ramaphosa 36 days to give a response to the Sarb, meant he had not given a substantive answer to the origins and transactions which underlie the foreign currency on Phala Phala Farm.
“The cowardly Ramaphosa remains evasive and now has a deadline of September 8 to give substantive detail to the direct questions asked by the Reserve Bank.
“We are aware that the reason the Sarb extended the dates to September 8 is because Ramaphosa has not disclosed the origins of the millions of US dollars found in his farm,” Thambo said.
He said Ramaphosa’s delay tactics, evasiveness and PR stunts would not save him from an inevitable removal from office.
“We will continue to hold him and institutions that ought to interrogate his criminality accountable, and will ensure the Sarb enforces his compliance with the deadline to give detail on the origin of his illicit money,” Thambo said.
He said EFF cautioned institutions including the Sarb, Sars and law-enforcement agencies against trying to cover for Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa on Tuesday during his questions and answers (session) in the National Assembly said the investigations were ongoing.
“I have responded to the various questions that have been raised and will continue to respond to every question that have been put to me by the relevant authorities. In the course of what they are working on, the authorities have said it’s best they deal with all the matters to this theft that occurred at the farm. I have been advised it is best to address this matter when those processes have been done. I stand ready to take the nation to its confidence,” Ramaphosa said.
Sarb spokesperson Thoraya Pandy said the correspondence the EFF was talking about was for the attention of Shivambu and Sarb did not issue a statement.