President Cyril Ramaphosa’s former campaign managers described as “bizarre” a report in this week’s Sunday Times that the president’s CR17 campaign is being probed for money laundering.
The weekend paper reported that public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane was investigating Ramaphosa for allegedly laundering donations of more than R400 million to his ANC presidential campaign.
This was after she reportedly subpoenaed three bank accounts linked to the president as part of her investigation, it said.
Mkhwebane is also probing whether Ramaphosa deliberately misled parliament about a R500,000 donation for his ANC election campaign from Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson. That probe arose from a complaint lodged by DA leader Mmusi Maimane last November.
The Sunday Times reported that the public protector’s preliminary report was leaked to the media two weeks ago and suggested that she intended to pursue a finding of money laundering against Ramaphosa.
Former CR17 campaign manager Bejani Chauke hit back late Sunday, saying the campaign was funded by a broad range of individuals who “supported the objective” of the campaign.
He said the funds were paid into accounts established for this purpose and “in the process, all legal and regulatory requirements were met.”
“There is no basis whatsoever for even a suspicion of money laundering.”
He added: “It is significant that in addition to the entirely baseless claims of money laundering, the amounts referred to in media reports are wholly inaccurate.”
“We are concerned that claims of this nature are being drip fed into the public space with the clear intention to damage the reputation of the president and to create uncertainty,” Chauke said.
The DA’s complaint emerged after Ramaphosa initially told the National Assembly that his son Andile had received money from Bosasa for services rendered in terms of a consultancy contract.
The Presidency later amended that reply in a letter to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete. The president said the payment in question was actually a donation that had been made to his ANC presidential campaign, of which he had previously been unaware.
Ramaphosa’s office has confirmed that he received a notice in terms of section 7(9) of the Public Protector Act that he is implicated in allegations of violating the executive ethics code in relation his answer on the circumstances surrounding the R500,000 payment from Bosasa to his presidential campaign in 2017.
Mkhwebane gave Ramaphosa until 21 June to respond.
Last week, the Public Protector granted Ramaphosa more time after the Presidency, citing State of the Nation Address preparations, requested an additional extension.
