President Hage Geingob has refused to go into detail on the scandal that erupted in South Africa around that country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa over his role in allegedly covering up the robbery at his Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
It is alleged a group of Namibians stole US$4 million (around N$60 million) from the Limpopo farm.
At the end of a press conference to report on the presidency’s mission to Davos, President Geingob said he would address the “irrelevant questions” asked by journalists around the Phala Phala scandal.
“This thing happened in South Africa. It will be a court case maybe. Let’s see. Let them bring it up in court. “It’s a big issue; it’s true – but I didn’t come for that here.
“It’s a criminal case. Someone came here illegally; he was arrested and later charged, paid and went back to South Africa. So, I don’t know what favour I could have done for anybody,” said Geingob yesterday.
A criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, laid by former South African spy boss Arthur Fraser last Wednesday, raised eyebrows over what exactly happened in the days following the break-in on 9 February 2020.
Namibian law-enforcement authorities were alerted to about N$6 million, transferred by the suspects into Namibian accounts between February and May 2020. One of the suspects, Imanuwela David, a Namibian-born individual, who also carries a South African passport, was arrested after illegally crossing into Namibia on or about 12 June 2020.
Geingob said he has direct contact with about 14 presidents, some of them daily.
“We don’t go through secretaries. We just call each other.” He said, he speaks with Ramaphosa regularly.
Yesterday, United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa said he wants parliament to investigate allegations that Ramaphosa may be complicit in alleged criminality. “These allegations have been greatly destructive of the country’s image – both at home and abroad. And it is likely to affect investor confidence negatively, especially given that president Ramaphosa has acted as a champion of good governance – and now, this bomb has burst over his very own head. “Given the existing dynamics with the alleged involvement of the police and the State Security Agency, but in main that Parliament has a responsibility to make oversight over the executive, the UDM would suggest that president Ramaphosa takes sabbatical leave, until mid-August 2022. “Then, that parliament and the acting president may institute a preliminary investigation into the entire matter with terms of reference that would include if the South African Revenue Services and the Reserve Bank had any knowledge of the matter,” Holomisa wrote to Mapisa-Nqakula.