It sounds more like the plot of a bad action thriller movie. There’s a robbery on one of the president’s properties, the perpetrators are subsequently kidnapped, interrogated, and paid off for their silence by the president.
No, it’s not the latest Tom Cruise blockbuster, it’s what former director-general of the State Security Agency, Arthur Fraser, has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of doing.
A statement released this week and attributed to Fraser, reveals that he has opened a criminal case against the president for allegedly concealing a multi-million-dollar heist on Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Waterberg, Limpopo.
Fraser asserts the robbery was in excess of four million US dollars and was carried out by robbers, who were in collusion with Ramaphosa’s domestic worker on the farm.
Fraser claims in his statement that the charges he made with the police include “kidnapping of suspects, their interrogation on his property and bribery” and that Ramaphosa concealed the crime and evidence from the police and the SA Revenue Service (Sars).
Thereafter, Ramaphosa paid the culprits for their silence.
The police have confirmed that a case was opened at the Rosebank Police Station on Wednesday.
It seemed as if Fraser was just blowing smoke again as he has been known to do in the past when in 2020, he threatened to reveal state secrets as well as secrets of presidents past and present at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.
But on Thursday, the presidency responded to the allegations and confirmed that a robbery had taken place on Ramaphosa’s farm but rubbished the allegations of criminal misconduct against the president.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the robbery took place on or about February 9, 2020, and that the money that was stolen, was from a recent cattle sale.
Magwenya said at the time of the robbery the president was attending an African Union Summit and upon learning of the robbery, Ramaphosa reported it to the head of the Presidential Protection Unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS) for investigation.
Markets
Currencies kept to narrow ranges in the European trading session yesterday, with the UK markets being closed.
“The Rand hovered around the R15.50 level for most of the day before closing stronger at R15.47 as the Dollar retreated once the US markets opened. The Rand has opened unchanged at R15.47 this morning, and we are likely to see a reasonably quiet day again today until the US opens, with UK markets only back on Monday again,” comments TreasuryONE.
The forex trading house added: “The US unemployment and non-farm payroll numbers due out later today could provide some fresh direction for the Dollar. Analysts expect unemployment to have fallen to 3.5% from 3.6% and for payrolls to have increased by 325k.”
Here’s a round-up of what we’re reading:
SA Business
Airlines promise not to raise prices as Comair grounding reduces supply – SowetanLIVE
African Bank Limited’s ‘bad bank’ has paid R4.3bn to creditors – but still owes billions more – Fin24
Rural dagga farmers – the same ones highlighted by Ramaphosa – say they’ll be ‘criminalised’ by new laws – Business Insider
Global Business
Rolex worn during WWII ‘Great Escape’ set to fetch up to R6.2 million at auction – Fin24
Biden to visit Saudi Arabia in push to lower oil prices and punish Russia – The Guardian
Can anything be done about the ‘perfect storm’ in Australia’s energy markets? – The Guardian
Markets
Asian Stocks Advance Ahead of Key US Jobs Report: Markets Wrap – Bloomberg
Dollar wavers as traders await US jobs update – SABC
What OPEC’s production decision means for global oil markets – BusinessTech
Tech
Tesla may have Optimus robot prototype within months – Bloomberg
Winklevoss Twins Have Company in ‘Crypto-Winter’ Job Cuts – Bloomberg
Apple Plans to Make the iPad More Like a Laptop and Less Like a Phone – Bloomberg
(Image: GCIS)
