Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has defended the decision to classify as top secret a report into the conduct of officers who took part in a covert operation to recover stolen US dollars from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.
Responding to a parliamentary question from ActionSA, Cachalia argued that releasing the report publicly would interfere with operational planning. He said the classification was necessary to protect sensitive relations between institutions.
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“In light of these, it was absolutely necessary to classify the report ‘top secret’. The report will remain so classified until these elements are no longer in existence,” Cachalia told Parliament.
Phala Phala: Wally Rhoode Cleared Despite Public Protector’s Findings
Cachalia also confirmed that the head of the president’s protection unit, Wally Rhoode, was cleared of misconduct after pursuing suspects without an official police case.
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This comes despite the Public Protector’s 2023 report, which found evidence that Rhoode violated SAPS disciplinary regulations and recommended he face a hearing.
Opposition parties, including ActionSA and the African Transformation Movement (ATM), have questioned why Rhoode faced no disciplinary action.
ATM leader Vuyo Zungula accused the ANC of undermining accountability. “It is a deliberate effort by the ANC to destroy most of these institutions that can actually hold them accountable and institute criminal proceedings against them,” he said.
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The decision to shield Rhoode adds to a broader trend of officers being cleared through internal processes, even when their conduct has raised legal or disciplinary concerns.
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Examples include protection officers for Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who were acquitted internally despite facing criminal charges for assaulting civilians in 2023, and parliamentary guards who faced no consequences after the 2022 Parliament fire.
ActionSA has now threatened legal action if its application to access the Phala Phala report is rejected. ATM, meanwhile, vowed to challenge the ruling party over what it views as the failure to act on misconduct findings.
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