Allegations of impropriety weaken South Africa’s president

loves Ankole cattle. “The graceful movement of these amazing creatures”, he writes in “Cattle of the Ages”, a book he co-wrote about the majestic cows, “speaks to the gentle whispers of the ancestors in the wind.” In recent weeks, however, the animals have been less a source of joy than of controversy for the tycoon-turned-president. On June 1st Arthur Fraser, an ex-head of the State Security Agency (), an intelligence organisation, asked police to investigate Mr Ramaphosa about a series of events starting in 2020. In an affidavit Mr Fraser claims that thieves broke into Mr Ramaphosa’s cattle farm that year and stole at least $4m in cash hidden in furniture. Mr Fraser alleges that Mr Ramaphosa asked the head of his presidential protection unit to investigate the robbery.