A South African court found Imanuwela David and Froliana Joseph guilty on Monday, November 2, 2026, in connection with a 2020 theft at Phala Phala, a private game farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa. David was convicted of theft and conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal, while Joseph, a cleaner at the property, was convicted of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal. The court acquitted Joseph’s brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, of all charges. Pre-sentencing proceedings are scheduled to begin on November 13.
The convictions stem from a February 9, 2020, burglary in which cash was taken from a sofa on the president's property. The incident remained hidden from the public until June 2022, when Arthur Fraser, the former head of South Africa’s State Security Agency, filed a criminal complaint. Fraser alleged that Ramaphosa had failed to report the theft to police or tax authorities to hide the existence of a large sum of foreign currency. President Ramaphosa admitted the theft occurred but denied any wrongdoing, stating the money was proceeds from the sale of buffaloes to a Sudanese businessman.
During the trial, the court heard that David broke into the farm and took cash totaling approximately $580,000. Prosecutors detailed a subsequent spending spree in which David purchased three Mercedes-Benz vehicles, a Porsche, two Volkswagens, diamond-encrusted Rolex watches, and a house. While David claimed he earned the funds through Bitcoin and diamond trading, the court rejected these assertions, noting that he was the only defendant found with the stolen cash in his bank account.
For ordinary South Africans, the scale of the case—involving over half a million dollars hidden in furniture—has drawn scrutiny toward transparency in the executive branch. While a 2023 report by Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka cleared Ramaphosa of violating executive ethics, the Constitutional Court in May 2026 ruled that Parliament had acted unlawfully by shelving a separate panel report. These legal developments mean that while the burglars face sentencing this month, the president’s own legal standing remains a subject of ongoing litigation, including a July 2026 action where Ramaphosa blocked a parliamentary inquiry through a provincial court.
The case sets a precedent regarding how private business interests of sitting heads of state are monitored. Although the Public Protector found no evidence of a conflict of interest, opposition parties such as the Democratic Alliance have stated their intention to continue pursuing the matter through the court system. The next concrete step in the criminal proceedings is the pre-sentencing hearing for David and Joseph on November 13, 2026, which will determine the penalties for the two convicted individuals.