The incredible story of the South African president, 20 buffalo, half a million dollars and an unreported robbery

Sometimes when you reach down the back of the sofa you find a few coins, an old receipt or maybe some stale popcorn. At South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s house, according to allegations that have haunted his presidency for years, you might have found hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash.

Ramaphosa strongly denies claims that he was hiding millions of dollars inside furniture at his Phala Phala game farm. According to his version of events, the amount stolen was closer to $580,000 than the $4 million often quoted in headlines. Still, even half a million dollars hidden in a sofa is not exactly ordinary household behaviour.

The strange affair only became a national scandal because the money disappeared. In 2020, burglars broke into Ramaphosa’s farm and stole large amounts of foreign currency. What happened afterwards is what turned an embarrassing robbery into one of the biggest political controversies in modern South African politics.

'We can't call the police'

Rather than immediately reporting the theft publicly, allegations emerged that the president’s security team attempted to recover the money privately. Critics compared the situation to something out of a crime thriller - the classic scenario where people decide they cannot involve the police because explaining the missing cash would create even bigger problems.

According to claims later made public, Ramaphosa contacted the head of his presidential protection unit, Major General Wally Rhoode, and instructed him to investigate the matter. Rhoode has denied wrongdoing and said he was simply carrying out his official duties.

The affair remained secret until June 2022, when former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa. Fraser himself is a controversial figure and a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, whose administration was plagued by corruption allegations. Ramaphosa had built much of his political reputation on promises to clean up South African politics after the Zuma years, making the allegations especially damaging.

Christmas buffalo

The scandal raised several uncomfortable questions. Had the cash been properly declared to tax authorities? Were foreign currency regulations followed? Had state security resources been used to deal with a private theft? And perhaps most importantly, why was such a huge amount of cash sitting inside a sofa in the first place?

Ramaphosa’s explanation centres on buffalo.

According to the president, the money came from the sale of 20 buffalo to Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa, who allegedly visited the farm around Christmas and paid more than half a million dollars in cash for the animals.

What makes the story particularly unusual is that Mustafa reportedly left with neither the buffalo nor much formal documentation beyond a receipt. Years later, the animals had still not been delivered.

Mustafa later told Sky News he remained relaxed about the situation and expected the matter to be resolved eventually. It was an astonishingly calm response to what most people would consider an extremely risky purchase. Handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to buy livestock, leaving empty-handed, and then waiting years for either the buffalo or a refund is not exactly a standard customer experience.

For a while, it appeared the scandal might quietly disappear. In 2022, Ramaphosa survived an impeachment threat after allies in parliament blocked efforts to move the process forward.

But South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party continued pursuing the issue through the courts. Last week, judges ruled that the parliamentary process used to shield Ramaphosa from impeachment had been unconstitutional, reopening the possibility that the president could once again face formal proceedings.

The scandal has become symbolic of the contradictions at the heart of South African politics. Ramaphosa remains widely viewed by supporters as a more competent and reform-minded figure than many of his rivals. Yet the image of a president allegedly hiding huge quantities of foreign cash in furniture has badly damaged that reputation.

World Reframed episode 39.

World Reframed is produced in London by Global South World, part of the Impactum Group. Its editors are Duncan Hooper and Ismail Akwei.

ISSN 2978-4891