Embattled former statesman Jacob Zuma has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of treason and corruption in the wake of the Phala Phala game farm scandal.
Addressing the media in Sandton on Saturday, Zuma claimed Ramaphosa is corrupt and has defied the oath of office by conducting business while still in office.
The former president referred to Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm, where the president sells game, as a “side hustle”, which according to him is unethical.
Zuma, who was found to be at the centre of the state capture project, said other former presidents had never been found in compromising situations with millions of dollars in their possession.
“Let us not beat about the bush about the neglect of constitutional duty that comes with abusing the office of the president to conduct private business. I am assuming that what President Ramaphosa has said about the many dollars under his bed or furniture is true – that he conducts private businesses while serving as president of our country,” Zuma said.
“That on its own is unconstitutional and those who applaud him for doing so commit the most disgusting transgression. Conducting private business while holding the high office of the president is nothing but corruption, which is inconsistent with the nature of that office and the Constitution.
“It is inconsistent with the oath of office taken by the President and those who defend such deeds, both in the executive and the legislature, commit treason against our constitution. Suffice to say that your president has committed treason. No President should conduct private business while in office”.
According to Zuma, the country has enough problems and cannot afford to have a president whose focus is divided.
“Our country’s problems are too big for a president who is busy hustling on the side.”
Zuma, also lambasted the media and non-profit organizations for being “silent” about Ramaphosa’s conduct, adding that he wondered what would have happened had he been the one accused of hiding foreign currency under his “mattress”.
He argued that the media was not quiet when he was placed under scrutiny for the controversial security upgrade at his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu Natal.
“There is complete silence by the media about the Phala Phala allegations. This was not the case when allegations were made about the security upgrades at my home in Nkandla; by the way, this is a standard practice as prescribed in the government handbook for all sitting and former presidents.
“To add insult to injury the Western Cape High Court has found that the president went further and suspended the public protector for the sole purpose of covering up his Phala Phala corruption. Your president is corrupt. Yet the busy-bodies and self-appointed anti-corruption crusaders and NGOs are dead silent.”
Phala Phala farm scandal
In June, former spy boss Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa at the Rosebank police station.
The complaint emanates from a robbery that took place at the president’s Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo on February 9 2020, where millions of dollars allegedly concealed at the farm were stolen.
The president is being investigated by the office of the public protector to determine whether he violated the executive members’ ethics code by concealing the theft of over $4-million (R68-million) at his farm. The investigation follows a complaint lodged by the African Transformation Movement for breaching the code of ethics in June.
During a hybrid sitting in parliament earlier in the year, Ramaphosa acknowledged and admitted that there was indeed a burglary at his farm but denied accusations of kidnapping and bribery, saying that he reported the break-in to his head of security Wally Rhoode.
The president also disputed the amount of money involved, claiming that the cash came from legitimate sales of game from his animal-breeding farm.
