Cyril Ramaphosa is a haunted man. The scandal over the cash stuffed in a sofa at his game farm is back. And it is back with a vengeance.
The so-called ‘Phala Phala’ affair has been the president’s Achilles heel since 2020. But now it threatens to derail his entire political project. Sources inside the ANC are jittery. They speak of a “death by a thousand cuts”.
The story is simple. In 2020, thieves broke into Ramaphosa’s farm. They stole $580,000 in foreign currency. Cash that was hidden in a sofa cushion. The president says it was proceeds from the sale of game. Critics smell a cover-up.
A parliamentary panel is investigating. And the leaks are coming thick and fast. This week, a former spy boss claimed that Ramaphosa’s security detail was ordered to “go off the record” after the theft. The implication is clear: a cover-up.
The timing could not be worse. Ramaphosa is seeking a second term as ANC leader. The party’s elective conference is in December. He faces a challenge from former health minister Zweli Mkhize. Mkhize is no saint; he was forced out over a COVID-19 tender scandal. But he smells blood.
The ‘cash-in-the-sofa’ narrative is sticky. It plays into the narrative that Ramaphosa is out of touch. That he is part of the wealthy elite. It is a hammer blow to his anti-corruption image.
The president’s allies are fighting back. They point to the lack of evidence. They say the panel is a ‘kangaroo court’. They whisper that the leaks are coming from the camp of former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma is no fan of Ramaphosa. He wants to see him fall.
But the damage is done. The scandal is a gift to the opposition. The Economic Freedom Fighters have turned it into a rallying cry. They chant “Phala Phala” at every protest. It is a potent slogan.
The real fear inside the ANC is that the scandal will bleed into the general election in 2024. The party is already on the back foot. Economic growth is stagnant. Unemployment is over 30%. Load shedding cripples the economy. Now this.
Ramaphosa is a shrewd operator. He has survived worse. But this feels different. The scandal refuses to die. It is like a ghost that follows him everywhere.
What happens next? The panel is expected to report soon. If it finds that the president misled parliament, the pressure for him to resign will be intense. The ANC could even be forced to recall him. That would be unprecedented.
But for now, the president is digging in. He insists he has done nothing wrong. He says the money was legally earned. He dares his accusers to produce proof.
The game is on. And this time, the stakes could not be higher. For Ramaphosa, for the ANC, for South Africa.
