The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has recommended disciplinary action against Major General Wally Rhoode, head of the Presidential Protection Unit, and Constable HH Rekhoto over the 2020 theft at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.

Why it matters: the report exposes a pattern of alleged misconduct at the highest levels of presidential security, and the fact that recommendations were ignored raises questions about accountability within the SAPS.

What the report found

According to the IPID report, Rhoode failed to register a case of housebreaking and theft after being informed of the incident by the president. The SAPS Act requires officers to report prescribed offences to their commanding officers.

Instead of following formal procedures, members of the protection unit conducted an unauthorised investigation. This included the unlawful apprehension and interrogation of suspects at the Limpopo farm, chasing leads in Cape Town, and travelling to Namibia.

Falsified records

IPID found both officers falsified travel documentation and itineraries to conceal the true purpose of their operations. The watchdog concluded that Rhoode authorised unnecessary travel and duplicated roles, resulting in what the report calls “fruitless and wasteful expenditure.”

How the report surfaced

ActionSA secured the report after a year-long campaign for its release. The IPID investigation was declassified in March 2026, but the full report remained restricted until ActionSA obtained it through legal channels.

The party accused the police ministry of shielding the president’s protectors from accountability.

Previous disciplinary outcome

In 2025, acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed that Rhoode had been subjected to an internal disciplinary process and was found not guilty. Opposition parties, including ActionSA and the DA, have called for a fresh process based on the IPID findings.

What happens next

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu faces growing pressure to act on the IPID recommendations. The report has been tabled before Parliament’s portfolio committee on police, which is expected to schedule hearings in the coming weeks.