African Transformation Movement (ATM) Parliamentary Leader Vuyo Zungula has intensified pressure on the police watchdog, placing the declassified Phala-Phala investigation report firmly back on Parliament’s agenda.
Zungula has written to the Portfolio Committee on Police Chair, Ian Cameron, formally requesting that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) be held accountable for its probe into the 2020 burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala-Phala game farm in Limpopo.
“The ATM firmly believes that this matter cannot be allowed to lapse through administrative closure. It requires robust parliamentary scrutiny, particularly in light of IPID’s own acknowledgement that serious violations did occur yet remain unexplained to Parliament and the public.
“We trust that the committee, under your leadership, will treat this request with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. We stand ready to make oral or written submissions should the committee deem it necessary,” the letter reads.
Request follows written parliamentary reply
The request comes after a written parliamentary reply confirmed that the report has now been declassified, but will not be published.
In response to Parliamentary Question 253, tabled by ATM MP Thandiswa Marawu, Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, confirmed that IPID concluded its investigation and declassified the report on the 2nd of February 2026.
Cachalia clarified that IPID did not investigate the burglary itself but rather the conduct of South African Police Service (SAPS) members who handled the matter.
After reviewing the initial “Top Secret” classification and weighing up public interest considerations, IPID determined that the classification was no longer justified. However, despite the declassification, the minister made it clear that the report will not be released or published.
The reply states that there are no timelines, and that IPID investigation reports are not normally published.
Access to report only through legal process
Any individual or entity wanting access must apply to the Information Officer through formal legal processes in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
The minister insisted that there was “no delay” in releasing the report, arguing that declassification effectively concludes the process.
According to the reply, any version released through PAIA will be subject to redactions. Personal and sensitive information relating to witnesses and alleged suspects will be removed, while annexures containing raw evidence or personal identifiers will remain restricted in line with the Minimum Information Security Standards.
ATM insists IPID present findings to Parliament
Zungula, however, has argued that declassification without structured parliamentary scrutiny risks turning the matter into an administrative closure exercise.
He wants Cameron’s committee to compel IPID to present the full findings, identify which complaints were substantiated, and explain whether any disciplinary or criminal recommendations were made.
The ATM first lodged a formal complaint with IPID Executive Director, Jennifer Ntlatseng, on 21 June 2022, requesting an investigation into claims of a police cover-up of the Phala-Phala burglary.
The complaint cited Ramaphosa’s confirmation that a theft had occurred, cross-border involvement by the Namibian Police, alleged off-the-books investigations by senior police officials, and claims of unlawful conduct, including kidnapping and the interrogation of suspects as outlined by former spy boss Arthur Fraser.
Most ATM complaints were substantiated
Between 30 June and 1 July 2022, IPID requested sworn statements and convened a meeting during which it promised weekly progress reports. It never honoured this commitment.
IPID has acknowledged that seven of the 11 ATM complaints were substantiated, but has failed to disclose which allegations were upheld, the officials implicated, or any remedial or disciplinary measures recommended.
