Phala Phala Accused Imanuwela David Pleads for Leniency, Cites 4 Children and Unemployed Status
- Imanuwela David appeared in the Modimolle Regional Court on Friday, 13 November 2026, to address sentencing after his conviction earlier this month
- David testified through an interpreter that his arrest left his mother, siblings, and four children without any source of income
- The court postponed the sentencing to 26 November 2026 to allow the defence to obtain a correctional supervision report for co-accused Froliana Joseph
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LIMPOPO — Imanuwela David, 42, took the stand at the Modimolle Regional Court on Friday, 13 November 2026, asking the court to show leniency at sentencing, pointing to the financial burden his arrest placed on his family.
According to The Citizen, David appeared alongside co-accused Froliana Joseph. Both were convicted on 2 November of housebreaking, conspiracy to commit housebreaking, and theft. David faced the additional charge of money laundering. A third accused, Ndilinasho David Joseph, was acquitted.
David testifies on family hardship
Testifying through an Oshiwambo interpreter, David told the court that his arrest in November 2023 left his mother, siblings, and four children without income. He said the conviction had been emotionally draining and that the prospect of sentencing filled him with fear, though he expressed willingness to accept whatever the court decided.
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Despite being unemployed at the time of his arrest, David indicated he could potentially raise R500,000 towards a possible R1 million fine by seeking assistance from others.
Conviction linked to Phala Phala Farm theft
The charges relate to the February 2020 theft of $580,000 from a sofa at President Cyril Ramaphosa's farm in Bela-Bela. David maintained he had no involvement in or knowledge of the break-in.
However, evidence presented during the trial told a different story. Cellphone records connected David to Joseph, a former cleaner at the property, and financial records revealed that more than R9.5 million had been deposited into his accounts. Magistrate Peter Manthata postponed the matter to 26 November 2026 to give the defence time to obtain a correctional supervision report for Joseph, who remains out on bail ahead of sentencing.
View a tweet on X about the court appearance:
MK Party calls for formal visit to Phala Phala farm
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the MK Party’s call for the parliamentary impeachment inquiry committee to visit Phala Phala, the Limpopo game farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The scandal dates back to 2020, when $580,000 was stolen from the farm and no formal police docket was opened. Ramaphosa is now seeking to stop the impeachment inquiry from proceeding.
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Source: Briefly News
