‘I paid R10m buffalo bill’

Sudanese businessman’s Phala Phala deal

THE Limpopo government says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm hasn’t requested permits to export any buffalo since 2019.

This comes as the Sudanese businessman who Ramaphosa claims bought the animals from his Phala Phala farm, scoffed at the $580 000 (R10 million) he is alleged to have paid – the theft of which has caused a constitutional crisis in South Africa.

Ramaphosa is embroiled in an alleged cover-up around the details of the dramatic events that followed the burglary at his game farm in Limpopo in February 2020.

In a statement by Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (Ledet) to SABC’s Unfiltered show, the department said: “No application was received from Phala Phala or Ntaba Nyoni CC to export 20 buffaloes to Sudan from 2019 to date (sic).” Ramaphosa is the sole director of Ntaba Nyoni, which runs the farm’s dayto-day operations.

Ramaphosa told the independent panel which probed whether he had an impeachable case that Hazim Mustafa had bought the 20 buffalo for $580 000 through an employee on 25 December 2019.

Last week the panel, chaired by retired former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, ruled that Ramaphosa had a case to answer on several counts and that his actions had possibly violated the constitution.

Former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser lodged a criminal complaint in June, alleging that Ramaphosa, along with his former presidential head of security, Wally Rhoode, had conspired to conceal money laundering, torture and kidnapping after the robbery at the farm by a gang of Namibian burglars, who made off with the $580 000 which had been hidden in a sofa.

Ramaphosa claimed that the buffalo were sold to Mustafa, with links to former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir and married to South African Instagram model Bianca O’Donoghue. Despite the alleged sale, the animals are still on the farm.

Ledet’s statement came after Mustafa spoke to Sky News. He claims he declared the $580 000 in cash used to buy the buffalo at OR Tambo International Airport, but couldn’t transport them due to the Covid lockdown and was now awaiting a refund.

Sky News quoted Mustafa as saying: “$580 000 is nothing for a businessman like me. I don’t know what the big issue is.”

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, didn’t respond to queries about the export permit.

Mustafa said he visited the farm during his 2019 Christmas holiday. “When we did the deal, they were supposed to prepare the animals for export. Then the Covid-19 lockdown happened and there was delay after delay after delay. It took too long, so I didn’t get my money back but there is an understanding I will be refunded.”

Wildlife Ranching SA CEO Richard York told the Cape Argus that the process of exporting buffalo was arduous. “Totally impossible” to do without permits to export, the requisite darting, and testing for tuberculosis, foot and mouth, brucellosis and corridor diseases – a process which can take two weeks to three months.

“Only once you’ve got those results (blood tests) are you allowed to move the buffalo. It’s one of the strictest animals to move,” York said.

He said “it’s totally illegal” to move buffalo if the process isn’t done with the state veterinary in the Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment departments, which have to issue two separate permits.

“You would need to apply for export and import permits to the different countries and that takes a lengthy time,” York said.

Meanwhile, a crucial sitting of Parliament that will discuss the Section 89 panel report has been moved to next Tuesday, when MPs will be able to vote physically.