Three suspects appear in South African court over Ramaphosa Farmgate scandal

Three suspects accused of stealing millions of dollars in cash from President Cyril Ramaphosa's game farm in 2020 appeared in a South African court on Monday. The case, linked to a scandal that nearly toppled the president, has been dubbed "Farmgate."

Imanuwela David, Ndilinasho Joseph, and Froliana Joseph face charges of housebreaking and theft. The trio appeared before a regional court in Limpopo province, where the case was postponed until November 26.

Bail for the Joseph siblings, arrested in November 2022, was extended, while David remains in custody.

The controversy came to light in June 2022 when former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser accused Ramaphosa of covering up the theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala game farm and alleged money laundering and corruption.

Ramaphosa, a successful businessman before his presidency, has consistently denied the accusations.

In June 2023, South Africa’s anti-corruption body cleared the president of any conflict of interest regarding the money found at the farm.

Despite the political fallout, Ramaphosa survived a leadership challenge within the African National Congress (ANC) at the end of 2022, securing his position ahead of the upcoming presidential election.