According to a report from Sunday World, one of the five men accused of stealing an undisclosed amount of US dollars from President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in Bela Bela, Limpopo, recently threw a lavish birthday party allegedly paid for with the proceeds from the heist. Erkki Shikongo, one of the accused Namibian nationals, hosted the party at Amanda Guest House in Outapi, Namibia. Shikongo had purchased the guest house for N$800,000 shortly after the robbery.
An internal document from FNB Namibia reportedly revealed that Shikongo deposited N$1 million on March 11, 2020, with a portion of the money used to purchase the guest house. The document also stated that around $4 million to $8 million was stolen from the Phala Phala farm during the robbery. The bank closed Shikongo's account, as well as other accounts linked to the robbery, including those of Clement Shikongo and Ana Shikongo.
After the robbery, Shikongo went on a shopping spree, buying a flat in Camps Bay, Cape Town, a property in Wallacedene, Kraaifontein, and a VW Golf GTI. Former spy boss Arthur Fraser, who reported the farm robbery, alleged that Shikongo transferred R715,000 for the car in February 2020.
Shikongo confirmed that he was hosting a birthday party but declined to discuss the Phala Phala incident. He mentioned that he had lined up top DJs for the event.
Fraser implicated Shikongo, Imanuwela David, Umbanus Shaumbwako, Petrus Muhekeni, and Petrus Afrikaner as the individuals involved in the robbery. He also claimed that President Ramaphosa did not report the crime to any police station.
Namibian law enforcement agencies traced over R10 million that the accused men transferred from South Africa into various bank accounts in Namibia over a six-month period. They requested legal mutual assistance from South African authorities but reportedly did not receive cooperation.
President Ramaphosa was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Phala Phala scandal by Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, the newly appointed public protector. However, opposition parties are reviewing the report and believe that the president should be held accountable.
