Staff Reporter
Bela Bela, November 8 — Imanuwela David, aged 39, and Froliana Joseph, aged 30, have been apprehended and charged in connection with the 2020 theft of $580,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm. The suspects are facing four counts, which include conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal, housebreaking with intent to steal, and money laundering.
Joseph, who was temporarily employed at the farm, is alleged to have provided insider knowledge to David, enabling them to locate the hidden cash stashed within the farmhouse. Both David and Joseph are South African citizens of Namibian descent and are currently residing legally in South Africa.
In a compassionate move, the court granted Joseph permission to breastfeed her infant child three times daily while in custody. The arrest of these individuals follows an extensive investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has revealed that the investigation indicated that the accused individuals conspired to commit the theft starting on January 1, 2020. On January 8, 2020, David and two accomplices mistakenly targeted the wrong farm, Stokkiesdraai, before successfully identifying and breaking into the Phala Phala farm the following night.
The matter has been postponed to November 10 to allow David to secure legal representation and for a formal bail application to be heard. The Hawks’ spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, expressed satisfaction with the breakthrough in the case, emphasizing the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice.
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