RAMAPHOSA FARM HEIST: R253k smile — Phala Phala ‘mastermind’ grilled over dental makeover

Alleged Phala Phala robbery mastermind Imanuwela David was forced to explain a R253,000 dental grills purchase as the State probed a surge in his wealth after the burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm in 2020.

A set of custom-made dental grills worth R253,000 featured prominently in the Modimolle Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 5 June 2026, as alleged Phala Phala robbery mastermind Imanuwela David faced questions about his spending after banking records revealed a sharp increase in his financial activity in 2020.

Court records show David’s account balance rose from just in excess of R100,000 in 2018 to more than R3-million in 2020. The State argues the increase points to a sudden boost in wealth following the 2020 robbery at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Limpopo farm.

The grills are part of a series of luxury purchases, including vehicles and property investments, which the State says point to a “dramatic” lifestyle change in David’s life.

It is understood that by the time of his arrest in 2023, David no longer had the grills. When the investigating officer asked about them, he allegedly said he had sold them.

On Friday, State prosecutor advocate Nkhetheni Munyai questioned David about why he spent thousands on the cosmetic dental procedure in 2021, months after the robbery.

David replied: “Those grills were to align my teeth and keep them in shape.”

The prosecutor responded: “They were not aligned all your life until you took them to a doctor in 2021?”

David said: “As you age, there are things you notice in your body… I started noticing that something isn’t right with my teeth.”

Munyai then asked when he first noticed the problem and David said around 2017.

Munyai pressed on, saying: “Why didn’t you attend to that problem back then when it started and why did you opt for a cosmetic procedure rather than seeing a dentist?”

“There is no specific other than just aligning my teeth,” David responded.

He is appearing in court with siblings Floriana and Ndilinasho Joseph, facing charges linked to the break-in and theft at the farm.

The court also heard evidence from a financial analyst who examined David’s bank records for the two years before the alleged robbery and after.

The records showed total account activity of about R181,000 in 2018 and R126,000 in 2019, before rising sharply to more than R3-million in 2020.

“In 2020, he goes to see a total of more than R3-million. It’s a huge difference in your account. Do you agree that this is a huge difference?” Munyai asked.

Munyai questioned how such an increase could occur during the C