Phala Phala report questions absent farm managers’ affidavits

IN THE ABSENCE of affidavits from Phala Phala farm managers Hendrik von Wielligh and Sylvester Ndlovu, the legitimacy of the sale of 20 rare buffalo has come under scrutiny in the Phala Phala Section 89 report.

According to the report, there were too many unanswered questions around the cash sale of the buffaloes to Sudanese national, Mustafa Mohamed Hazim.

The report, compiled by an independent panel and headed by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, raised questions relating to the sale and why the large amount of money had not been banked sooner.

“There are a number of questions that arise from the money that Mr Hazim carried. How did he get this huge amount of cash into South Africa? When he entered the country, did he declare to the South African authorities at the point of entry that he was carrying this amount of cash? What is the source of this cash he had in his possession? Did he produce any document indicating that he had authority from his country to take out of his country this amount of money? How did Mr Hazim carry this money into South Africa? We find the behaviour of Mr Hazim in carrying more than half a million US$ in cash into South Africa and thereafter transporting it to the farm to be un-businessmenlike. We understand that customers pay cash or use money transfers for transactions. Why did Mr Hazim not pay by money transfer?

“It is difficult to understand that a foreigner carrying US$580 000 (which, as at December 25 2019, would have translated into about R8 777 458) would randomly come on a Christmas Day without making prior arrangements. We would have expected that Mr Hazim would have made arrangements with the general manager or the President to come and view the animals; the farm would make arrangements for someone with knowledge of buffalo to receive Mr Hazim and negotiate the price and conclude the sale transaction.

“Yet no such arrangements were made, and he was met by a lodge manager whose expertise in buffaloes is not known.

“Indeed, it is not clear to us how Mr Ndlovu knew what buffaloes to sell and at what price each. We raise these questions not because it is unheard of for a person to buy a parcel of buffaloes at US$ 580 000. These questions arise because as a businessperson we would not have expected Mr Hazim to go about the country carrying more than half a million US$ in cash,” the report read.

According to Ramaphosa’s submissions, he stated: “When Mr Ndlovu spoke to me on December 26 2019, the cash he had received was still in the safe at the Bayeto Centre. I was heading to Cape Town for the remainder of the festive season and since Mr von Wielligh was away, I said the money ought to be kept on the farm until Mr von Wielligh would have the opportunity to process matters related to the transaction.”