‘Amandla’ to Outapi
How Cyril’s millions boosted dusty northern town
The South African president's missing millions have helped boost the economy of a northern Namibian town.
There was a hive of economic activity in Outapi from March 2020 when a group of men descended on the dusty town in cars bearing South African number plates.
They travelled by road to Namibia days after they allegedly looted around N$60 million from South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in the Limpopo province.
One of the arrivals was then 40-year-old Erkki Shikongo, who was born at Onaame in the Ohangwena Region.
Shikongo did not waste time. One of his first purchases was a guest house he bought for N$800 000 from an Outapi businessman.
He subsequently deserted its original name and rechristened it Amandla Guest House.
Amandla, a word used as a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against apartheid, mostly by Ramaphosa’s African National Congress and its allies, means ‘power’ in IsiXhosa.
A Toyota Land Cruiser was also purchased. The transactions were processed through a third party.
This information is contained in a leaked Namibian Police document dated 21 June 2020, compiled by former crime investigations department head Nelius Becker.
Becker confirmed to Namibian Sun yesterday that he indeed compiled the report, which mainly profiled the clandestine movements of one of the suspects in the game farm heist, Immanuel David, the man seen as the mastermind in the robbery.
He, however, denied leaking the report, which circulated on public platforms yesterday.
“I will never be so stupid to leak something with my signature on it,” he told Namibian Sun.
Becker said he recently shared the report with two officials in the Namibian Police following South Africa’s former spy boss Arthur Fraser’s request that the police investigate Ramaphosa for money laundering, acting in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and corruption.
Heist crew
The heist crew consisted of Shikongo, David, Urbanus Shaumbwako, Petrus Muhekeni and Petrus Afrikaner.
According to Fraser’s witness statement deposed last week, they exchanged the stolen loot for South African rands at an informal foreign exchange service run by Chinese nationals. The money was used to buy luxury items such as cars and deposited into their bank accounts.
Fraser also said the men were paid N$150 000 each, on Ramaphosa’s instruction, as hush money not to reveal or discuss the details of the robbery.
‘I’ll call you back’
Prior to its purchase, the guest house had been on sale for close to six months after it was on the market since 2019, according to Facebook posts advertising it. It was sold in March 2020.
It consists of seven bedrooms and boasted network TV, air conditioning, a fridge, bar, dining area and security system, and had extra space "should one wish to expand".
It is said Shikongo travelled to Outapi from South Africa to take a look at the property and loved it, so he immediately decided to buy it.
“After a few days when he left Namibia, he paid in full through an electronic funds transfer (EFT),” a source familiar with the deal said.
Shikongo spoke to Namibian Sun and briefly confirmed that the guest house in question belonged to him.
“I am at a very noisy place, I will call you back,” he then said, after which his number was unreachable. Messages sent also went unanswered.
Hush-hush
Meanwhile, a police officer Namibian Sun spoke to said they investigated the case during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, just after March 2020, “then somehow, we were put on hold from the higher authorities”.
“We revealed a lot of things. You have to be careful. This is your life concerned and that of your loved ones.
“The counterpart [South African] government is also involved and gave instructions as well,” the source said.
They travelled by road to Namibia days after they allegedly looted around N$60 million from South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm in the Limpopo province.
One of the arrivals was then 40-year-old Erkki Shikongo, who was born at Onaame in the Ohangwena Region.
Shikongo did not waste time. One of his first purchases was a guest house he bought for N$800 000 from an Outapi businessman.
He subsequently deserted its original name and rechristened it Amandla Guest House.
Amandla, a word used as a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against apartheid, mostly by Ramaphosa’s African National Congress and its allies, means ‘power’ in IsiXhosa.
A Toyota Land Cruiser was also purchased. The transactions were processed through a third party.
This information is contained in a leaked Namibian Police document dated 21 June 2020, compiled by former crime investigations department head Nelius Becker.
Becker confirmed to Namibian Sun yesterday that he indeed compiled the report, which mainly profiled the clandestine movements of one of the suspects in the game farm heist, Immanuel David, the man seen as the mastermind in the robbery.
He, however, denied leaking the report, which circulated on public platforms yesterday.
“I will never be so stupid to leak something with my signature on it,” he told Namibian Sun.
Becker said he recently shared the report with two officials in the Namibian Police following South Africa’s former spy boss Arthur Fraser’s request that the police investigate Ramaphosa for money laundering, acting in contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and corruption.
Heist crew
The heist crew consisted of Shikongo, David, Urbanus Shaumbwako, Petrus Muhekeni and Petrus Afrikaner.
According to Fraser’s witness statement deposed last week, they exchanged the stolen loot for South African rands at an informal foreign exchange service run by Chinese nationals. The money was used to buy luxury items such as cars and deposited into their bank accounts.
Fraser also said the men were paid N$150 000 each, on Ramaphosa’s instruction, as hush money not to reveal or discuss the details of the robbery.
‘I’ll call you back’
Prior to its purchase, the guest house had been on sale for close to six months after it was on the market since 2019, according to Facebook posts advertising it. It was sold in March 2020.
It consists of seven bedrooms and boasted network TV, air conditioning, a fridge, bar, dining area and security system, and had extra space "should one wish to expand".
It is said Shikongo travelled to Outapi from South Africa to take a look at the property and loved it, so he immediately decided to buy it.
“After a few days when he left Namibia, he paid in full through an electronic funds transfer (EFT),” a source familiar with the deal said.
Shikongo spoke to Namibian Sun and briefly confirmed that the guest house in question belonged to him.
“I am at a very noisy place, I will call you back,” he then said, after which his number was unreachable. Messages sent also went unanswered.
Hush-hush
Meanwhile, a police officer Namibian Sun spoke to said they investigated the case during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, just after March 2020, “then somehow, we were put on hold from the higher authorities”.
“We revealed a lot of things. You have to be careful. This is your life concerned and that of your loved ones.
“The counterpart [South African] government is also involved and gave instructions as well,” the source said.
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