A former intelligence chief filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, accusing him of committing irregularities in order to conceal the theft of $4 million (£3.25 million) in cash from his game property in the north-eastern Limpopo state.
The president denied any culpability, claiming that the money stolen from his sofa in 2020 was from the legitimate sale of buffaloes on his Phala Phala property.
Prosecutors stated the decision not to charge Ramaphosa or anyone else was made after “a comprehensive investigation process”. Ramaphosa escaped the alleged “farmgate” scandal and was re-elected as president.
Last year, the anti-corruption watchdog cleared Ramaphosa amid calls for him to resign.
Arthur Fraser, who headed the state security agency between 2016 and 2018, claimed that Ramaphosa hid the farm theft from police and tax authorities and instead organised the kidnapping and questioning of the robbers in an attempt to silence them.
The president was also accused of money laundering, tax evasion and breaching foreign currency laws over the cash, which was in US dollars.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the burglary but denied the criminal allegations, saying he had reported the break-in to the police.
He has also disputed the amount of money involved and said it came from legitimate sales of game from his animal-breeding farm.
The widely publicized burglary plunged Ramaphosa’s government into disarray before of a critical party leadership election.
However, an inquiry into the incident revealed inadequate evidence of corruption and money laundering, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced on Thursday.
In a statement, Ivy Thenga, Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, said the decision not to prosecute Ramaphosa was made following a “careful assessment” of all the information submitted to the prosecutors by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).
