Guilty verdict in $580K cash theft from South African president's farm

Imanuwela David was found guilty of theft on Monday, plus conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal, over the 2020 raid on Phala Phala farm in Limpopo province. The court heard he broke into the cattle farm in February 2020 and lifted $580,000 in cash from a sofa. Froliana Joseph, a cleaner at the property, was convicted of the same conspiracy charge. Her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was acquitted on everything.

The money did not sit still. David blew it on a fleet of cars — three Mercedes, one of them for his girlfriend, a Porsche and two Volkswagens — along with diamond-encrusted Rolex watches and a house. He told the court the cash came from business dealings in diamonds and Bitcoin. The court rejected that story, and noted he was the only one of the two convicted who had any of the stolen money sitting in his bank account.

For years the break-in stayed quiet. That changed in 2022, when Arthur Fraser, South Africa's former intelligence chief and an ally of ex-president Jacob Zuma, went public with claims that Ramaphosa concealed the theft from police and tax authorities, according to BBC News. Ramaphosa admitted the theft happened but denied any wrongdoing.

The fallout landed in parliament. An independent panel that same year concluded Ramaphosa could have questions to answer over the burglary, but MPs voted against setting up an impeachment inquiry. In May this year the constitutional court ruled that parliament had acted unlawfully by shelving the panel's report. In July, Ramaphosa blocked the parliamentary inquiry through a provincial court.

David's fate is not sealed yet. Pre-sentencing proceedings are set for 13 November, when the court will hear arguments before deciding how much time — if any — he and Froliana Joseph will serve.