Cachalia Responds to Claims Presidential Protection Head Blocked Phala Phala Case

• Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia responded in writing to Parliament over Major General Wally Rhoode's role in the Phala Phala theft
• The Independent Police Investigative Directorate previously found that Rhoode failed to report the housebreaking to the national police commissioner
• Cachalia pointed to a farm manager as the person who held responsibility for initiating a criminal case docket

SOUTH AFRICA — Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia says there is no evidence that Major General Wally Rhoode refused or prevented the opening of a criminal case after $580,000 in cash was stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in 2020.

Rhoode, who heads the Presidential Protection Unit, has been linked to questions surrounding the handling of the burglary and theft at the Limpopo farm.

Cachalia responds to questions about Rhoode

Cachalia made the comments in a written reply to Parliament after he was asked whether he had requested Rhoode to provide a report on the matter.

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The question followed findings by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) that Rhoode failed to report the Phala Phala housebreaking and theft to the then national police commissioner.

However, Cachalia said there was no evidence that Rhoode had refused or prevented the opening of a case.

He also pointed out that Rhoode was not the first responder at the scene.

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Farm manager had responsibility

According to Cachalia, the responsibility for initiating a criminal case rested with the farm manager, Hendrick von Wielligh.

He said von Wielligh had the fiduciary responsibility for the farm, which included initiating a case docket following the theft.

The Phala Phala saga has continued to attract scrutiny over how the theft was handled and whether proper police procedures were followed.

The matter has also been examined through investigations and parliamentary processes, with questions remaining about the events surrounding the reported theft of the large amount of foreign currency from the farm.

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MK Party calls for formal visit to Phala Phala

Previously, Briefly News reported that the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has called for a formal visit to President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo as part of the ongoing parliamentary impeachment inquiry into the president.The impeachment committee convened to deliberate on its terms of reference, during which MKP MP Andile Mngxitama made the case for an inspection of the farm itself.

Source: Briefly News