No, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala Game Farm Is Not Being Sold for R100 Million in Dubai
- President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game reserve is making headlines again after some people alleged the infamous property was being sold
- The speculation comes after a private game farm with a similar name, Phala Ranch, was placed on the market
- Phala Ranch owners explained how they deal with people confusing their property with the president's
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The Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana infamous saga has drawn in many conspiracy theories, and somehow, President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala Wildlife has been dragged into the mix.
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When the word "Phala" is mentioned, South Africans instantly think about stolen US dollars that were stuffed under mattresses on the property.
The game farm recently went viral online after some people claimed the property was up for sale in Dubai.
Some South Africans said on social media that the Thabo Bester and Dr Nandipha Magudumana prison break saga is being used to distract citizens from the news about Phala Phala being sold.
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Many people were drawn to the drama following the allegation. Some wondered if the president was secretly getting rid of Phala Phala to wipe his hands clean of the damning charges against him.
Is President Cyril Ramaphosa selling Phala Phlala for R100 million?
The viral claim that Ramaphosa is selling his game farm comes after a listing was posted on Luxuryproperty.com. This website listed a property called Phala Ranch, which is being sold for $5.5 million (around R99 million).
The company selling the property is from Dubai, with many people connecting the dots to the president because of his business affiliation with Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa, who is also based in Dubai.
Mustafa admitted in a Sky News interview that he bought rare cattle after an auction at Phala Phala in 2020 and paid $580 000 (around R10 million) for prized cattle.
Ramaphosa alleged that the US dollars stolen from his property in February 2020 were proceeds from selling an Ankole bull to Mustafa.
Is Phala Phala and Phala Ranch the same property?
At first glance, Phala Phala Wildlife and Phala Ranch may seem like the same property, but when you look further, they do not have the same offerings.
Some people speculated Phala Ranch and Phala Phala are the same property with different names. However, Phala Ranch is located in the Dwaalboom area near Thabazimbi in Limpopo, the same province where Phala Phala is.
Ramaphosa owns Phala Phala Wildlife, which is located outside Bela Bela and not Phala Ranch.
Ramaphosa's game farm focuses on breeding and auctioning wild animals. The Phala Phala Facebook page is littered with auction posts for rare animals.
According to SA History, Phala Phala Wildlife is focused on acquiring the best genetics in buffalo, white impala, sable antelope, roan antelope and golden oryx.
The game farm has been breeding these animals for the past seven years.
On the other hand, Phala Ranch offers a pleasant experience for game hunters and anyone who wants to vacation in the bushveld.
In addition to offering a hunting experience, Phala Ranch also breeds animals like the president's Phala Phala Wildlife game farm.
The luxurious property has a lodge, a hunting/bush camping site, a butchery, cold rooms, a landing strip, a helicopter pad, and so much more.
The private game farm has received five-star reviews from people who have hunted on the property over the past few years.
Ramaphosa's Phala Phala is not for sale
In conclusion, Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm is not up for sale, but another property with a similar name, Phala Ranch, has been listed on a Dubai-based website.
A Phala Ranch spokesperson explained to Briefly News that the business has been running for 22 years.
The listing of Phala Ranch was not removed as a social media account claimed, and the property is still up for grabs. The ranch is a family business, and it has been put up for sale because the owner is retiring.
The ranch owners told TimesLIVE that people often confuse Phala Ranch with Phala Phala Wildlife, but they have no affiliation with the president's game farm.
Speaking to Briefly News, the Phala Ranch spokesperson added that while people might confuse the two properties on social media, their business has not been negatively impacted.
"Luckily, we haven’t been affected as we have clients that hunt on Phala Ranch as well as buy live game from us."
Cyril Ramaphosa and Patrice Motsepe probed over "suspicious" sale of 4 Ankole cows for R4 million
In another story, Briefly News previously reported that another criminal complaint was laid against President Cyril Ramaphosa. This time, it involves his billionaire brother-in-law, Patrice Motsepe.
Srinivasan Naidoo, the leader of Really Democracy, filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa and Motsepe in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, 18 June 2022, alleging suspicious dealings over the sale of Ramaphosa's Ankole cows.
According to TimesLIVE, Naidoo wrote in his affidavit that he was informed about an auction at Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm on 5 March. He learnt that Motsepe paid R4.7 million for four female Ankole cows.
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Source: Briefly News
