“President Ramaphosa should end his silence and be honest and open with the nation about his involvement in the ‘Dollargate’ saga,” Steenhuisen said.
The party has vowed to pursue every possible angle to hold Ramaphosa to account for the saga, which it said lays bare that the ANC is rotten from the head down.
Writing to the FBI, the DA said it recommended that journals which would have recorded the alleged sale of wild game at auction be requested from the president, to determine the identities of those involved in “suspicious” cash transactions.
“A cash transaction within SA involving $4m is deeply suspicious, and more so since the cash was hidden in furniture and its theft investigated off-the-record and covered up.”
The DA cautioned against the matter being handled with sensitivity, saying Ramaphosa ought to be treated like former president Jacob Zuma during his Nkandla saga.
“Like we persuaded Mr Zuma, like people within the ANC persuaded Mr Zuma, like parliament persuaded Mr Zuma, we need to make sure pressure is kept up.”
LISTEN | DA asks Americans to investigate Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala saga
John Steenhuisen says local law enforcement cannot be trusted to be objective
The DA has written to the FBI Pretoria field office to ask the US intelligence and security service to investigate allegations of money laundering by President Cyril Ramaphosa after a 2020 robbery at his Limpopo farm, Phala Phala.
This comes as pressure from within the ANC and opposition parties mounts for Ramaphosa to be held accountable after allegations that he was involved in a cover-up of the theft of US dollars hidden in farmhouse furniture.
Addressing members of the media at the party’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Tuesday, DA leader John Steenhuisen said they had approached the FBI because they did not trust local law enforcement officials with the investigation.
“We have requested that the FBI considers investigating the source of the funds and whether the money was brought into SA legitimately and declared to the appropriate authorities,” he said.
While Ramaphosa has confirmed a robbery did take place, he has declined to give further details, saying he has been advised to let due processes take place.
Steenhuisen said this was no justification for his refusal to answer questions.
Ramaphosa is also yet to give the ANC’s integrity committee a date for his session with it to explain the issue in detail.
Steenhuisen said the country will not wait for an ANC process.
“These are serious allegations that will continue to do enormous damage to our economy and prospects for attracting investment and creating jobs, as well as to the credibility of the office of the presidency and the police and justice system.
“President Ramaphosa should end his silence and be honest and open with the nation about his involvement in the ‘Dollargate’ saga,” Steenhuisen said.
The party has vowed to pursue every possible angle to hold Ramaphosa to account for the saga, which it said lays bare that the ANC is rotten from the head down.
Writing to the FBI, the DA said it recommended that journals which would have recorded the alleged sale of wild game at auction be requested from the president, to determine the identities of those involved in “suspicious” cash transactions.
“A cash transaction within SA involving $4m is deeply suspicious, and more so since the cash was hidden in furniture and its theft investigated off-the-record and covered up.”
The DA cautioned against the matter being handled with sensitivity, saying Ramaphosa ought to be treated like former president Jacob Zuma during his Nkandla saga.
“Like we persuaded Mr Zuma, like people within the ANC persuaded Mr Zuma, like parliament persuaded Mr Zuma, we need to make sure pressure is kept up.”
The opposition party announced several steps it would take to ensure the president is held accountable. They are:
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