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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has today written to the Office of the Acting Public Protector, Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka, to submit a formal declaration and affidavit obtained from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) which confirms that Mr Hazim Mustafa did not declare the sum of US dollars brought into South Africa via OR Tambo International Airport as stated late last year.

President Cyril Ramaphosa had previously claimed that the sum of US dollars stolen from his Phala Phala farm was paid to him for a cattle transaction, the payer of which was Mr Hazim.

The DA’s initial request to the Public Protector for an investigation into the Phala Phala matter centred around a potential breach of the Executive Ethics Code. However, we now believe that this new information could also point to contraventions of additional laws.

As such, we have brought this to the attention of Adv. Gcaleka as the SARS declaration and affidavit may have a bearing on the initial investigation still underway by her office, and therefore warrants further examination by the Chapter 9 institution.

The DA has stated on multiple occasions that the Phala Phala matter does not begin and end with the President, but rather traverses a number of ministries, law enforcement bodies, and state entities – all of which are alleged to be deeply involved in a mass cover up operation of a seemingly illicit activity at the hands of our sitting President and the ANC. It is crucial that we piece together the story of what truly transpired at Phala Phala on 09 February 2020 to ensure that President Ramaphosa, like any other South African, is not above the law and faces full accountability.

The multifaceted nature of the theft and subsequent cover up of the theft at Phala Phala also gives credence to the DA’s call for an ad hoc committee in the National Assembly to fully unpack and investigate the matter.

To date, President Ramaphosa has followed the example of his predecessor by abusing the courts to have the damning Section 89 report overturned, and evading any and all mechanisms for Parliamentary accountability.

Getting to the bottom of the Phala Phala debacle is in the interests of all South Africans.

It is crucial for democratic and parliamentary accountability, especially in the wake of the Zuma presidency which made a mockery of South Africa’s institutions and the rule of law.

The DA will continue to pursue the Phala Phala matter until the truth is finally out.

Issued by John Steenhuisen - Leader of the Democratic Alliance