Two accused persons in the Phala Phala farm heist, Froliana Joseph (30) and her brother David Joseph (27), found a way to breach communication barriers when they appeared in the Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court on Friday in South Africa, with an Oshiwambo translator.
The two are linked to the theft of U$580 000 from South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020, alongside Imanuwela David, Petrus Muhekeni, Urbanus Shaumwako, Petrus Afrikaner and Erkki Shikongo.
Froliana and David, who are accused of guiding five men to the cash hidden in a sofa inside Ramaphosa’s farmhouse, through an Oshiwambo translator, said they do not have relatives outside the borders of South Africa.
As she made her second appearance, Froliana said she is innocent and intends to prove her innocence during her trial.
Froliana, her brother David, and Imanuwela, appeared in the Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Froliana and Imanuwela were arrested on Sunday and Monday last week, while David was arrested on Thursday after he handed himself over to the South African police.
Froliana and Imanuwela are charged with theft and housebreaking.
Imanuwela faces an additional charge of money laundering.
Froliana said she might be acquitted on the charges.
“I plead not guilty to the charges brought against me. I deny any involvement in the commitment of any offences,” she said in her affidavit.
She pleaded with the court that she be granted bail of N$2 000.
She said she has a one-year-old child that suffers from a medical condition and needs to be in her care.
Froliana also said the state has a “weak case against her and it is open to serious doubt”.
According to her, if granted bail, she will not interfere with any state witness as she does not know the potential witness in the matter.
She said she was born in Bela Bela in 1992 and does not have any relatives outside the borders of South Africa.
She said she dropped out of school in 2012 while in Grade 10.
“I do not have any assets outside the borders of South Africa. I do not possess any formal qualification. I am currently unemployed and my last employment was at Phala Phala in 2021 as a casual worker,” she said.
Froliana also said she does not own any property in South Africa as she lives with her parents.
“I have no source of income. I do not own any asset of value,” she said.
Her brother David, who was born 1996, also does not have any relatives or assets outside the borders of South Africa.
He also said that he dropped out of school in Grade 10.
Both said they will not run away if granted bail.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Limpopo province spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi told eNCA on Friday that the state has a strong case against them.
Although the two said they are South African citizens, Malabi-Dzhangi said they are Namibians who have South African citizenship.
The case was postponed to 17 November for a bail application judgement.
The state is not opposing bail.
David will also return to court on the same date with his legal representative, as his lawyer did not make it to court on Friday.
TimesLive reported on Friday that prosecutor Nkhetheni Munyai told the court the state was not opposed to bail as it was aware of the pair’s whereabouts.
Munyai asked the court to set bail at N$5 000 for Froliana and N$10 000 for David.
The theft of the money came to light in June last year when former South African spy-boss Arthur Fraser opened a case of kidnapping and money laundering against Ramaphosa, Presidential Protection Services head major general Wally Rhoode and crime intelligence members for allegedly concealing the break-in.
Later on, Ramaphosa claimed the stolen money was the proceeds of a sale of buffalo to Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa in December 2019.
Ramaphosa allegedly failed to report the burglary to the police, but chose to report it to Rhoode instead.
It was further alleged that Ramaphosa used his presidential protection team to pursue the people he believed had stolen their money and their pursuit led them to Namibia.
In August this year, South African Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago defended the bank’s investigation into the Phala Phala theft, saying its investigation found the cash handed to a lodge manager in 2020 was a “security deposit” and not a final payment.
“The foreign currency was stolen before the conditions precedent to the sale transaction could be fulfilled,” he said.
The public protector’s office also cleared Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing.
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