By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Hazim Mustafa and his wife Bianca ODonoghue. Photo: Facebook.
The Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa, who allegedly bought 20 buffalo for $580,000 in cash from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm says ‘it was a normal business transaction’.
eNCA’s Annika Larsen visited Mustafa and his South African wife, Bianca O’Donoghue, at their home in Dubai, to get Mustafa’s version of events, leading up to his purchase of the buffalo, which he still hasn’t received.
Speaking to Larsen about the Phala Phala purchase — and dressed in head-to-toe Gucci — Mustafa said he was surprised to be dragged into the media spotlight of an international scandal, for what he considered to be “a normal business transaction”.
“It’s nothing to do with His Excellency the President — I just went there and I bought cattle and buffaloes from the farm,” said Mustafa.
Mustafa is a Sudanese businessman who has lived in Dubai since 2011. He claims to have made his fortune from agricultural imports and exports.
“I started my business from scratch… My main business line is agricultural imports and exports, to supply fertilisers, and export [crops].”
Mustafa said he hadn’t done much business in South Africa before his infamous buffalo purchase — “only one transaction about six years ago of flower seeds”.
Mustafa said he entered the country through OR Tambo International Airport and declared the money at customs. He said it was not unusual for him to carry that much money.
He added that he was aware of the investigation into the Phala Phala scandal.
Mustafa said he was shocked when he heard about the burglary at the president’s farm because he expected it to be secure.
He said he was contacted by the Public Protector’s office for the first time “a few days ago. The last call I had was three days ago from the Public Protector’s office.”
He claims to have had no contact with Ramaphosa or his office and has still not received the buffalo for which he paid $580,000.
Mustafa said he would expect a “refund” if the animals weren’t up to standard.
“After the investigation is finished, either I will go, or my legal team will go there to negotiate with them. If they (the buffaloes) are not there, or not to the quality which I asked for and chose, they should refund me, and maybe I can buy other animals from them. This issue will not affect my business with Phala Phala.”
He said he believed the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions had contributed to the delay in processing the game’s exportation.