SOUTH AFRICAN President Cyril Ramaphosa won’t face criminal charges over a hidden cash scandal that was revealed more than two years ago and led to an investigation by a special police unit.

Former national security chief Arthur Fraser laid a criminal complaint against Mr Ramaphosa in June 2022, accusing him of kidnapping, bribery and other crimes in relation to the theft of $580,000 (about £444,000) in US banknotes that was stashed in a couch at the president’s ranch.

According to Mr Fraser, Mr Ramaphosa had been keeping the cash hidden to evade South Africa’s foreign currency laws when it was stolen.

The former security chief alleged that Mr Ramaphosa, instead of reporting the theft, tried to cover it up by having members of his presidential protection unit track down the thieves, kidnap them and then bribe them to keep quiet about the existence of the money.

The theft happened at the president’s game farm in rural northern South Africa in early 2020. 

He denied wrongdoing and insisted that the cash came from the legitimate sale of buffalo.

Prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday that the decision not to bring any charges against Mr Ramaphosa or any member of his security detail had been taken after “a comprehensive investigation process.”