ActionSA says it will file criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa over allegations linked to the controversial Phala Phala farm scandal, arguing that the president must now be held accountable.
The party claims Ramaphosa allegedly misrepresented the amount of money stolen during the 2020 burglary at his Limpopo game farm. Recent media reports have suggested that the amount taken may have been R15 million, rather than the R10 million previously disclosed publicly.
ActionSA says it intends charging the president under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act. The party also alleges that Ramaphosa should face charges of fraud and perjury for allegedly making false statements to police investigators.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party believes new information emerging around the scandal raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
“ActionSA is concerned that, at every turn, more evidence is coming to light showing that the truth about what happened at Phala Phala in 2020 is only beginning to emerge now,” Beaumont said.
“We will lay these criminal charges because there needs to be accountability for the manner in which the truth about Phala Phala has allegedly been concealed from the South African public, all to protect the president.”
The Phala Phala controversy centres on the theft of foreign currency from Ramaphosa’s private farm in Limpopo in February 2020. The matter has remained politically explosive, with opposition parties accusing Parliament and state institutions of failing to hold the president accountable.
The Constitutional Court recently ruled that Parliament acted unlawfully in its handling of impeachment proceedings linked to the scandal, adding further political pressure on Ramaphosa and the governing ANC.