Concerns surrounding the investigation into the break-in and theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm continues to raise serious questions about transparency and accountability within the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
Vuyo Zungula, Member of the National Assembly for the African Transformation Movement (ATM), has persistently sought clarity from the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu regarding the delayed release of IPID’s final report on the matter. Despite the formal complaint being lodged as early as 2022 and repeated follow-ups, the report has yet to be made public.
In response to queries, the Minister confirmed that IPID had completed its investigation and referred its Recommendation Report to SAPS on 3 October 2023. IPID subsequently received feedback from SAPS and expressed satisfaction with the response. However, the investigation report has been classified as “Top Secret” under paragraph 3.4.4 of the Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS). As a result, its public release remains restricted unless formally declassified.
Despite repeated requests from Zungula’s office, amounting to over nine formal requests and 11 complaints, Mchunu asserted that there was no delay in making the report available. Instead, he stated that it was simply impermissible to release a classified document for the purposes requested by Zungula.
The Public Protector previously confirmed that SAPS officers assigned to the President had violated the law. However, IPID distanced itself from this aspect of the matter, stating that it was not able to comment on actions taken by the Public Protector.
IPID did, however, confirm that meetings had been held with ATM’s leadership, during which updates on the investigation were provided. The organisation remains open to further engagements should additional clarity be required.
A key concern raised by Zungula was whether the Minister was aware that shielding the Executive from accountability would constitute a breach of the Executive Ethics Code. The Minister dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing, insisting that he fully understands the implications of the Code and that there was no basis for claims that he was involved in improper conduct.
When asked whether he would ensure the immediate release of the finalised IPID report, the Minister argued that IPID operates independently and impartially, free from any undue influence. While IPID reports to the Minister, Mchunu emphasised that he does not have the authority to interfere with its operations.
Mchunu further rejected any suggestion that the report was being suppressed, stating that classifying it as “Top Secret” was in line with existing security regulations.
The continued classification of the Phala Phala investigation report has led to mounting frustration among opposition parties and the public, who view it as a systematic attempt to withhold crucial information from scrutiny.
