Charles Molele
President Cyril Ramaphosa is to seek an urgent judicial review of the Public Protector’s Bosasa report, its findings as well the remedial action recommended.
Ramaphosa’s decision follows the release of a damning report by Public
Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane last Friday, which found
that the president “deliberately misled Parliament and breached the
Executive Ethics Code” by failing to disclose donations to his CR17
campaign.
At a hastily organised media briefing Sunday evening, Ramaphosa said it was essential that the courts review Mkhwebane’s report, not only for him personally, but to preserve the integrity of the Office of the President.
“After careful study, I have concluded that the report is fundamentally and
irretrievably flawed,” Ramaphosa said.
“I have therefore decided to seek an urgent judicial review of the Public
Protector’s report, its findings and remedial action.”
Ramaphosa emphasized that “My decision should not be seen as a comment on the person, competence or motives of the PP, but is motivated instead by a determination that the law should be applied correctly and consistently.”
He added: “I am taking this action in the firm belief that the President is not above the law, and nor is the Public Protector. The Public Protector is equally bound by the law and, like the President, is answerable to the provisions of the Constitution.”
Ramaphosa reiterated his respect for the office of the Public Protector and all Chapter Nine institutions.
Mkhwebane report “fundamentally and irretrievably flawed”
PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
“I have decided to take this action not out of disrespect for the PP as a crucial institution of our democracy, but in the expectation that the institution will ultimately be strengthened by an independent and impartial judicial review,” Ramaphosa said.
Mkhwebane reacted to Ramaphosa’s announcement by saying she is confident that the findings in her report are “factual, rooted and in sound application of the law.”
DA leader Mmusi Maimane wants assurances that Ramaphosa will not use public money to defend himself in the matter.
“I note the decision by the President to seek judicial review as it is his right to do so. It’s equally vital for parliament to establish for itself, whether the President misled it. This is crucial for accountability.
Furthermore my call for an Ad Hoc committee still stands,” Maimane said.
Read more: https://www.insidepolitic.org/da-to-lay-money-laundering-charges-against-ramaphosa/
The EFF reacted by calling on Ramaphosa to step aside while the matter is being reviewed.
“The Press Conference, which sought to recover lost ground, was 30 minutes of hot air without anything concrete, the party said.
“A man elected on the ticket of transparency should have revealed who funded his campaign to become President of the ANC and accept the mistakes of having not declared all this money as it is required by law,” the EFF added.
Last year, during a question-and-answer session in Parliament, Ramaphosa initially responded to a question from Maimane, saying the R500 000 from Bosasa was payment to his son Andile for consultancy work.
Days later, he wrote to the then National Assembly speaker Baleke Mbete to amend his reply, saying it was actually a donation that had been made to his ANC presidential campaign, of which he had previously been unaware.
On Friday, Mkhwebane found Ramaphosa “deliberately misled” Parliament in November last year when he responded to a question about the R500 000 donation to his 2017 ANC presidential campaign from Bosasa boss Gavin Watson.
