Opposition parties slam Mchunu for withholding Phala Phala Ipid report

Opposition parties have criticised Police Minister Senzo Mchunu for refusing to release the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) report on the Phala Phala scandal. 

The report, which was finalised in October 2023, has been classified as "top secret," sparking outrage among those demanding transparency and accountability.

The Phala Phala scandal revolves around the 2020 theft of a large sum of foreign currency hidden in couches ($580 000 or R8.7 million at the time) at President Cyril Ramaphosa's farm in Limpopo. 

Ramaphosa has denied any wrongdoing involving allegations of money laundering and corruption, but the scandal has raised questions about his integrity and accountability.

Mchunu made his revelation in a written response to a parliamentary question by Vuyo Zungula, the leader of African Transformation Movement (ATM).

Zungula was inquiring about the reasons behind the delay of the release of the finalised report and its status. 

However Mchunu’s response was that the report would not be made public until it was declassified and it was disingenuous to suggest he was suppressing the report.

In response to Mchunu, opposition parties accused him of being complicit in covering for Ramaphosa, who is at the centre of the scandal.

To fire the first salvo was the ATM, which has been at the forefront of the push for the report's release.

The party’s spokesperson Zama Ntshona slammed Mchunu's decision as "a blatant disregard for transparency" and "a strategic move to shield Ramaphosa from scrutiny".

"This decision is a strategic move to shield the President and his administration from the scrutiny they so desperately need," Ntshona said.

He added that Mchunu's assertion that he could not reveal the contents of the report was a disingenuous attempt to appease his employer (Ramaphosa) rather than serve the interests of the South African public. 

“How can the Minister justify withholding this critical information from the public, especially when it pertains to a matter of national interest and constitutional integrity?

Mchunu’s statement that he is not violating the executive ethics code by withholding the findings is a weak defence,” Ntshona said.

The EFF, who have been fighting side by side with the ATM, to get clarity on the scandal, have also weighed in on the matter, with spokesperson Sinawo Thambo condemning Mchunu's decision as "an insult to democracy" and "a direct assault on transparency and accountability".

"The classification of the Ipid report as 'top secret' is just the latest chapter in this systematic cover-up. The Police Minister's refusal to release it is an insult to democracy and a direct assault on transparency and accountability," Thambo said.

The EFF has been vocal in its demands for Ramaphosa to be held accountable for his role in the scandal.

Thambo said the EFF would consider all options, including approaching the courts, to compel the release of the Ipid report.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has also joined the fray, with spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela accusing Mchunu of being "complicit" in the cover-up.

"The minister by covering up for the president is himself an accessory to the crime. Holding this report back is a clear indication that there is more damning information against his boss," Ndhlela said.

Ndhlela said they would also be seeking legal advice on the matter while using the parliamentary committees to force Mchunu to release the report.

“We sit in various committees in parliament including the police and intelligence committees…so we need to find ways of how we can get access to that report…We are also going to exercise legal avenues to render an open document that is for public consumption,” Ndhlela said.

The United Democratic Front's (UDM) leader, Bantu Holomisa, took a more cautious approach, saying the matter should be left to the courts to decide.

The UDM is part of the Government of National Unity (GNU) led by the ANC and the DA.

DA spokesperson Willie Oucamp did not respond to inquiries nor to phone calls on the matter, saying he was in a parliamentary sitting.

Ipid had been requested to unseal the investigation report into allegations of how police officials covered up the theft of dollars from Ramaphosa’s couches.

The theft of $580 000 from Phala Phala came to light when former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa.

In response to the outcry, Mchunu has maintained that the report's classification as "top secret" is in line with the Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS).

Mchunu’s spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, denied that Mchunu had refused to release the report.

“The minister did not refuse. The investigation report has been classified as “Top Secret” in terms of the MISS…the minister is not aware of the intended court action,” Mogotsi said.