Former national chairperson of the South African Communist Party, Charles Nqakula, has revealed that President Cyril Ramaphosa could potentially face arrest over certain allegations of misconduct.
Nqakula made these allegations during his interview on the African Renaissance podcast, hosted by former EFF member, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
However, Nqakula refused to disclose the details about these claims.
Nqakula is a highly influential politician, diplomat, and veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, known for his pivotal roles in underground intelligence operations.
He served as Minister of Safety and Security (2002-2008) and Minister of Defence between 2008 and 2009, before being appointed as High Commissioner to Mozambique.
He also served as the national security adviser to Ramaphosa.
There is a situation where something may happen and see him being arrested,” said Nqakula, adding that it was unclear whether the ANC had engaged with Ramaphosa regarding the matter.
When pushed to explain the details, Nqakula said: “I don’t want to be on record saying something that I don’t quite know and understand.”
However, Nqakula stated that Ramaphosa has been involved in other offenses in addition to the Phala Phala farm scandal.
Asked whether the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has a docketed criminal investigation against Ramaphosa, spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said questions should be sent to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) and the Hawks.
IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the unit cannot comment on what other people say, adding that there are no investigations against Ramaphosa.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale did not respond at the time of this publication.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya and ANC’s Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri also did not respond.
Ramaphosa is currently facing renewed parliamentary impeachment proceedings and severe legal scrutiny regarding the 2020 burglary at his Phala Phala game farm. He is accused of money laundering, kidnapping, and concealing a crime after roughly $580,000 in undeclared foreign cash was stolen from his property and an alleged cover-up ensued.
He was cleared of wrongdoing by the Public Protector, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), and the South African Revenue Service (SARS). While the Hawks’ criminal investigation remains confidential, the probes by these bodies generally found no evidence that Ramaphosa violated the Executive Members’ Ethics Code or exchange control regulations in relation to the theft at his Phala Phala farm.
Ramaphosa was also embroiled in illicit financial backing and perks linked to the Bosasa (previously knowns as African Global Operations) corruption.
This is after Ramaphosa previously faced accusations of concealing the identities of donors to his 2017 CR17 internal ANC presidential campaign. The controversy, which was investigated by the Office of the Public Protector and the courts, centered on the argument that the extensive, multi-million-rand private campaign funding should have been disclosed to ensure transparency and prevent potential political influence or state capture.
Former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane also released a report alleging that Ramaphosa had violated the constitution, breached the executive ethics code, and deliberately misled Parliament regarding a R500,000 donation from the controversial facilities company Bosasa.
However, following court challenges, the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) completely cleared Ramaphosa of wilfully misleading Parliament and money laundering.
Meanwhile, Nqakula added that the ANC should have released Ramaphosa following the ConCourt’s decision to reopen the impeachment inquiry.
This was after the ConCourt ruled that Parliament acted unconstitutionally in 2022 when its majority voted down an independent panel’s report to initiate an impeachment inquiry against Ramaphosa.
“If I was an executive member of the ANC, the first thing we would immediately hear is what the public already knows now, I was going to say let’s have the meeting and discussion. Because if we do not do that, we are painted with the same brush as the ANC. But if we do that and say, unfortunately he has to deal with these matters and cannot continue leading us,” Nqakula said, adding that he doubts the ANC has gathered to discuss the situation.
He said even Ramaphosa should have voluntarily stepped aside in order to deal with the situation and clear his name.
While the newly formed 31-member impeachment committee has already been established, Ramaphosa’s legal team has secured dates in the Western Cape High Court to argue that the underlying panel report is fundamentally flawed.
The matter is expected to be heard from 2 to 4 September 2026.