Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. File picture: Henk Kruger/African News Agency (ANA) Former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has become the second prominent figure to request that US law authorities look into the Phala Phala farm scandal.
President Cyril Ramaphosa faces mounting pressure on multiple fronts as Parliament's newly formed 31-member Impeachment Committee begins a Section 89 inquiry into his conduct over the Phala Phala farm scandals, following a Constitutional Court ruling that cleared the way for the process.
In a dramatic turn of events, former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has formally urged both the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the United States to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the stash of US dollars discovered at his farm.
The Busisiwe Mkhwebane Foundation reignited the call to US authorities; her request mirrors actions taken by the Democratic Alliance (DA), led by then-leader John Steenhuisen, who sought US intervention in 2022.
The Phala Phala affair began when former South African intelligence head Arthur Fraser lodged criminal charges against Ramaphosa in 2022, alleging serious crimes including money laundering, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice linked to a theft of over $4 million purportedly hidden on the President's property. Contrarily, Ramaphosa has countered that only $580,000 was taken, which he claims was legitimate income from game and buffalo sales.
