By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Phala Phala Wildlife farm theft case has been postponed to Friday, 17 November to allow the Magistrate to apply her mind to submissions made.
Imanuwela David, Froliana Joseph and Ndilinasho David Joseph appeared in the Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Froliana (31) and her brother David (27) made representations in their bail application indicating that they aim to plead not guilty against the charges of house breaking and theft.
During their bail application, the siblings told the court through their lawyer, Ramoloko Mike Mokgobu, they handed themselves over to the police at Bela-Bela police station after the investigating officer requested them to do so.
In their affidavits, the pair indicated they were not flight risks as they were SA nationals and had no prior convictions.
Froliana told the court she lost her job as a casual worker at the farm after news of the incident came to light in 2022.
In his affidavit, Ndilishano told the court he has held jobs as a driver at various companies since 2018 and was currently employed in Mthatha.
Prosecutor advocate Nkhetheni Munyai told the court the state was not opposed to bail as it was aware of the pair’s whereabouts. Munyai asked the court to set bail at R5,000 for Floriana and R10,000 for Ndilishano.
Magistrate Predeshni Poonan extended her J7 order allowing Froliana to breastfeed her child while in custody until judgment on the siblings’ bail application on November 17.
Limpopo NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi says, “We were supposed to proceed with the bail hearing. We’ll find out if all of them have legal representatives. For some of the accused, we are going to oppose the bail, but for the mother of the child we will not oppose the bail for her.
“The investigation is still continuing,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.
The president’s farm made headlines last year after former spy boss Arthur Fraser revealed that $580 000 was stolen at the farm in February 2020.
Fraser laid criminal charges of money laundering against president Cyril Ramaphosa and his head of security, General Wally Rhoode, at the Rosebank police station on June 1, 2022.
Ramaphosa said the cash was paid to his former farm manager, Sylvester Ndlovu, by Sudanese businessperson Hazim Mustafa on Christmas Day in 2019, as he wanted to purchase a herd of buffalo.
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