By Anita Dangazele
- Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed the Independent Police Investigative Directorate report was declassified on 2 February 2026 after being marked top secret for more than a year.
- The Ministry of Police says the Minister did not interfere in the watchdog’s work and that the report focuses only on the conduct of South African Police Service members.
The report into the Phala Phala farm robbery is no longer a state secret.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has confirmed that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate has declassified its investigation report into the saga.
The directorate was investigating the conduct of police officers linked to the theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s farm in Limpopo. The robbery happened in February 2020.
The investigation started in 2022 after African Transformational Movement leader Vuyo Zungula laid a complaint with the police watchdog. He asked the directorate to probe claims that senior police officials knew about a cover up of the theft at the president’s farm.
In November last year, Cachalia told Economic Freedom Fighters Member of Parliament Mazwi Blose that the report had been marked top secret.
He said the classification was meant to protect the integrity of the investigation, as well as witnesses and South African Police Service members who might have been implicated. He said this would prevent their names from being made public before any criminal trial started.
At the time, Cachalia said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation was handling the criminal probe. He explained that information in the watchdog’s report would likely form part of the criminal case docket.
On Monday, Zungula shared a new parliamentary reply from Cachalia. In it, Cachalia confirmed that the directorate had finished its investigation and that the report was officially declassified on 2 February 2026.
He said after reviewing the reasons for marking it top secret and weighing them against public interest, the directorate decided the classification was no longer needed.
However, he also said the report will not be released because that is not Independent Police Investigative Directorate procedure. He warned that any legally obtained version is likely to be heavily redacted.
In a separate media statement on Monday, 2 March 2026, the Ministry of Police said there had been confusion about the declassification.
The ministry said parliamentary questions are answered by the relevant departments and entities. It said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate is an independent body created by law and that the minister does not direct or interfere in its investigations or findings.
The ministry said the watchdog itself decided on the classification of the report in line with the National Strategic Intelligence Act and later declassified it.
It also stressed that the investigation dealt with the conduct of South African Police Service members, not the main criminal case of breaking and theft at the president’s farm.
The ministry said watchdog reports are not meant for public release and can only be accessed through proper legal channels, subject to restrictions.
ActionSA National Chairperson Michael Beaumont welcomed the declassification but raised concerns.
“One can only wonder how much valuable information will be concealed under the mountain of inevitable redactions. The victory of obtaining this report, however, will allow ActionSA and civil society to challenge both the redactions and the report itself in court if these concerns are realised,” said Beaumont.
He was critical of how the scandal has been handled.
“Every element of the Phala Phala scandal has been whitewashed and sanitised to protect President Ramaphosa from accountability for having $580 000 stored in his furniture. Every government institution has acted to protect the President, and once-vocal opposition parties have abandoned this fight now that they occupy seats on the GNU and are too busy flying around the world in luxury to speak for South Africans,” he said.
Beaumont said when ActionSA receives the report in the coming days, the party will share its contents and outline its next steps.
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Image source: X
