Phala Phala: Reserve Bank misses 30-day deadline to respond to PAIA for access to SARB Whitewash Report

28 September 2023

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has failed to respond to ActionSA’s application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) within the legislatively mandated 30 days to gain access to the report into whether President Cyril Ramaphosa’s failure to disclose the foreign currency, which was stolen at his Phala Phala farm in 2020, was indeed unlawful.

As a party committed to the rule of law, ActionSA will now file an internal appeal, as is required by PAIA, to ensure that the Reserve Bank gives us access to the report, and President Ramaphosa is held accountable for his possible corrupt activities.

From the outset, we have contended that the Reserve Bank’s report was most likely a whitewash as it was an attempt to protect the President. We believe that if indeed there is nothing to hide, the SARB Governor, Lesetja Kganyago, would’ve honoured our PAIA application.

Should our appeal ultimately be denied, we have said that we will be left with no option but to approach the High Court seeking an order compelling the SARB to furnish us with the report. Furthermore, once we have had sight of the report and if our suspicions are correct, that the report is indeed a whitewash, we will take the report on judicial review.

How is it possible that $580,000 (or $4 million as Arthur Fraser has alleged) can be hidden away in a couch without our financial agencies being aware of it?

ActionSA believes that all South Africans need to be treated equally by our law enforcement agencies and need to be held accountable for their actions.

Ramaphosa cannot receive special treatment simply because they are the President of the country and will therefore keep working to ensure he is held accountable.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, President of ActionSA, 28 September 2023