The trial is expected to run for three weeks.
The housekeeper at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo has told the court she does not know whether one of the accused had access to the room where cash in US dollars was stolen.
Proceedings resumed in the Modimolle Regional Court on Wednesday, where alleged mastermind Imanuwela David, Froliana Joseph and her brother, Ndilinasho David Joseph, are on trial.
The Namibian nationals face charges of housebreaking, theft and conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal. David faces an additional charge of money laundering.
The case relates to the theft of $580 000, which had been stashed in a couch at the game farm in Bela-Bela on 9 February 2020.
It is alleged that Froliana, who once worked at the farm as a temporary cleaner, tipped off her co-accused about the stash of cash.
Witness cross-examined in Phala Phala trial
On Wednesday, the housekeeper – who is the state’s second witness and cannot be named due to a court order – continued her testimony.
She told the court she does not know whether Froliana had access to the main room.
According to EWN, she revealed that the farm has a rule barring temporary cleaners from entering the main house, the place where the acting lodge manager had stored the cash after Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa brought the dollars to purchase animals.
“I know her very well, but when I am at the farm to go clean up at the main house, I do not go with them.
“I don’t know what happens when I am not at the farm,” she said under cross-examination by the defence.
READ MORE: Phala Phala trial: Witness details why he hid cash in Ramaphosa’s couch
The housekeeper also revealed she had not been informed about the stolen money, SABC reported.
“I did not hear anything that there was any money, and again that they stole.”
The employee had testified on Monday that she also knew nothing about the theft.
She explained that on the day of the incident she was at the main house and noticed that a window was open and the sliding door was unlocked.
Ramaphosa won’t testify
The trial is expected to run for three weeks, with hearings scheduled for 15, 17, 30 September and 1, 3, and 6 to 8 October.
The prosecution plans to introduce cellphone records allegedly linking the accused to one another and intends to call 22 witnesses to testify.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) previously confirmed Ramaphosa will not testify.
David remains in custody after being denied bail, while the Joseph siblings were granted R5 000 bail each in November 2023.
Two Namibian nationals remain at large with extradition proceedings underway.
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