Hawks Financial Analysis Casts Doubt on Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala Claims
New forensic evidence from the ongoing Phala Phala burglary trial has contradicted President Cyril Ramaphosa’s long-held claim that $580,000 was stolen from his Limpopo farm in 2020.
Hawks analysts tracking the accused’s finances have linked over R15 million (more than $800,000) in cash deposits and luxury spending to the suspects shortly after the February 2020 break-in, nearly double the amount Ramaphosa has publicly acknowledged. The president has said the money came from a legal buffalo sale.
Opposition parties say the discrepancy suggests undeclared foreign currency and possible foreign exchange violations. Ramaphosa’s office maintains the $580,000 figure is accurate. No charges have been filed against him.
The trial was postponed in Modimolle to today, Monday, with renewed political pressure following a May 2026 Constitutional Court ruling that revived impeachment proceedings over the scandal.
