In a whirlwind of political drama, former president Thabo Mbeki convened with top African National Congress (ANC) leaders at Luthuli House in Johannesburg, igniting a fiery discourse. Mbeki’s scathing letter to the party reprimanded their handling of the news surrounding Cyril Ramaphosa’s alleged game farm robbery at Phala Phala in the enigmatic province of Limpopo. Speculations abound about the heist, with whispers of a staggering sum of U.S.$4 million garnered from the sale of game on the farm, shrouded in secrecy.
As the controversy unfolded, former intelligence boss Arthur Fraser hurled accusations at Ramaphosa, accusing him of concealing the crime from law enforcement and the South African Revenue Service. Reports from Daily Maverick’s Rebecca Davis painted a picture of a president enlisting the aid of his presidential protection unit head to recover the funds and silence the matter.
The drama reached a crescendo in the hallowed halls of Parliament, as a pivotal vote on December 6, 2022, loomed, threatening the impeachment of President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, the decision was postponed to December 13, 2022, amid fervent debates and impassioned pleas. The ANC’s National Working Committee and National Executive Committee rallied to support Ramaphosa, rejecting the damning findings of the contentious report.
In the midst of this political maelstrom, Mbeki’s meeting with the ANC was touted as “an opportunity to get guidance” by party spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri in an interview with SABC News. Described as a chance for the ANC leadership to pool their wisdom and engage with their former president, the outcome remains uncertain. Notably absent from the proceedings was President Cyril Ramaphosa, leaving questions unanswered and tensions simmering.