Ramaphosa vs Fraser - disinformation campaign or presidential scandal?

Loading player...
This week the former head of the State Security Agency Arthur Fraser dropped what looked like a political bombshell – laying criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa. 
According to a statement released by Fraser, he has pressed criminal charges against President Ramaphosa which include defeating the ends of justice, torture, kidnapping and bribery.

However, the presidency quickly rebutted these claims saying that while a robbery did take place at his farm in Limpopo on or around February 9 2020 in which proceeds from the sale of game were stolen, Ramaphosa rejects claims that he was involved in any criminal conduct over the theft of millions of dollars at his farm in 2020.
Ramaphosa holds that he was attending an AU summit in Addis Ababa at the time the incident occurred. He claims that the allegations are simply a disinformation campaign. 
On this week's episodes of the Sunday Times Politics Weekly, we consider who Arthur Fraser is in our political landscape, why he might make these claims now, who might gain from a 'disinformation campaign', why Ramaphosa might keep such a large amount of cash on a farm and the political implications for SA should Ramaphosa be made to step aside. J
2 Jun 2022 English South Africa Politics · News Commentary

Other recent episodes

The cost of protest in South Africa

Protesting in South Africa comes at a price, sometimes a deadly one. From Sharpeville to today’s crackdowns, the state’s response to dissent has often been force, not dialogue. As the country marks Human Rights Day, the question remains: Why does standing up for basic rights still come with heavy consequences?…
20 Mar 27 min

How the ANC in Gauteng will be fixed

The Sunday Times’ Lizeka Tandwa spoke to Gauteng PTT coordinator Hope Papo about how they intend to turn around the party’s fortunes. 
8 Mar 1 hr 11 min

Dlamini-Zuma shoots down GNU, turns on MK Party

ANC heavyweight Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has expressed her disapproval of the government of national unity (GNU), saying that if it had been up to her, the ANC would not have formed a government with the DA.
30 Nov 2024 1 hr 22 min

'I will take back my ANC to honour our ancestors' — Jacob Zuma

ormer president Jacob Zuma has laid out details of an audacious plan to “take back my ANC', by uniting “black” parties under his MK party banner and recapturing the leadership of the party, which he said had “deviated from our ancestors”. He spoke to Sunday Times politics editor Sibongakonke Shoba…
23 Nov 2024 49 min

Khama wants probe into public finances after Masisi’s ousting

Former Botswana leader Ian Khama has called on the country’s new president, Duma Boko, to launch an investigation into the ousted Mokgweetsi Masisi’s use of government finances during his period in power. Khama says he feels responsible for the 'dictatorship' that ensued after Masisi took power. The former president was in…
9 Nov 2024 20 min