The matter hasn’t ended for the president although, as a police investigation continues to be ongoing.

South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog has cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing in a preliminary report right into a cover-up scandal that has tarnished his fame, in keeping with native media experiences.

The Public Protector stated it has notified implicated events of the preliminary findings of its probe over the theft of enormous quantities of money from Ramaphosa’s luxurious Phala Phala farm – one thing the president is accused of getting tried to hide.

Ramaphosa’s spokesman Vincent Magwenya stated on Saturday the president acquired the report, particulars of which have been leaked to native media.

“As said earlier than, we reiterate that the president didn’t take part in any wrongdoing, nor did he violate the oath of his workplace,” Magwenya stated in keeping with South African information outlet News24. “As a substitute, the president was a sufferer of a criminal offense that he duly reported to the related authorities.”

The scandal, which erupted in June, concerned about $500,000 in money that Ramaphosa acknowledged have been stolen from beneath couch cushions at his ranch.

The president, who stated the cash was cost for buffalos purchased by a Sudanese businessman, was accused of failing to report the matter to the police, in addition to abusing his powers and exposing himself to a battle of curiosity over the affair.

The report exonerates him however discovered the top of the presidential safety unit to whom Ramaphosa reported the crime acted improperly, investigating the case immediately as a substitute of reporting it to the police, in keeping with extracts revealed by a number of media retailers.

The findings, which the left-wing opposition Financial Freedom Fighters get together described as “nonsensical”, will deliver some respite to Ramaphosa, who has been dogged by the allegations for months.

The scandal virtually price him his job in December when he narrowly escaped a parliamentary vote that would have initiated proceedings to take away him from workplace and has endangered his possibilities of securing a second time period after subsequent yr’s elections.

But, it is not going to be the top of the matter for the president.

A police investigation continues to be ongoing, with the top of an elite unit who stated earlier this week detectives have collected greater than 120 statements as a part of their probe into the affair.