Two found guilty in theft from South African president's farmhouse

It's more than six years since $580,000 hidden inside a couch was stolen from South African President Sourama Porras' Parlour Parlour game farm in Limpopo province. On Monday, a court found the mastermind, Emanuela David, guilty on three of the four charges against him, including money laundering. A cleaner at the farm was found guilty of conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal while her brother was acquitted. The magistrate criticized shortcomings in the investigation into the theft, but said circumstantial evidence, including financial transactions and David's subsequent purchases, was sufficient to secure convictions. The so-called Farmgate scandal erupted in June 2022 when a former spy chief launched a police complaint accusing Ramaphosa of concealing the theft. The president subsequently faced intense scrutiny over where the foreign currency had come from and accusations he'd concealed the theft from police and tax authorities. He denied any wrongdoing. The matter has been postponed to the 13th of November for sentencing.