The Phala Phala trial opened in the Modimolle Regional Court, Limpopo, where three accused pleaded not guilty to theft, housebreaking and conspiracy to commit housebreaking. One of the accused also faces a money-laundering charge. The case stems from the alleged theft of $580,000 in 2020 from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. The State expects to call about 20 witnesses as proceedings unfold.
Witness Anonymity and Planned Evidence
Prosecutor Nkhetheni Munyai asked the court to conceal witness identities, citing fears of reprisal in this high-profile matter. The magistrate ruled in favour of anonymity, noting there had been no prior objection from the defence. The State plans to present cellphone records linking the accused and a financial analysis of the alleged mastermind’s income and spending.
Why Cash Was Hidden in a Couch
The first witness—a former lodge manager at Phala Phala—testified that Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa paid cash for 20 buffaloes on 25 December 2019. He said he moved the money from a safe to a couch in a seldom-used room at the farmhouse because many staff had access to the safe and he believed the house, which has cameras, offered better security.
Bail Status and Related Development
One accused remains in custody after being denied bail, while the two Joseph siblings are out on R5,000 bail each (charge sheet and bail records). In a separate matter, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said SAPS cleared Major-General Wally Rhoode—head of the Presidential Protection Service—of misconduct tied to Public Protector findings about the robbery investigation; he remains in his post (ministerial statement).
The Phala Phala trial will continue on set dates over the coming weeks as the State calls more than 20 witnesses. For South Africans following the Phala Phala trial, the early testimony has already sharpened the focus on how the cash arrived—and why it landed in a couch.
