Johnathan Paoli and Lerato Mbhiza
The EFF’s CIC Julius Malema has described as ‘nonsensical’ the Public Protector’s report which cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa of any wrongdoing in the Phala Phala farm saga.
Malema was briefing the media in Soweto ahead of the Economic Freedom Fighter’s 10-Year Anniversary celebrations to be held at FNB at the end of July.
He lashed out against the report published by the acting PP Advocate Kholka Gcaleka saying:
“The EFF rejects the nonsensical report into the crimes committed by Cyril Ramaphosa at and in relation to Phala Phala Farm, which was issued by an imposter in the Office of the Public Protector, Kholeka Gcaleka.
“The claim by Gcaleka, that there is no conflict of interest in a President engaging in the exchange of millions of foreign currencies, without any declaration to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) or consideration of the Executive Members Ethics Act (EMEA), is a sign that a lowly puppet is occupying the Office of the Public Protector”.
Malema insisted that the party “will explore legal and legislative measures to revisit the Section 89 Independent Panel Report, which was rejected by the ANC caucus in Parliament.
The report compiled by Former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo was rejected in Parliament under the pretense that the report is being reviewed in the judiciary,” he said.
Malema is not alone in criticising Gcaleka’s findings.
ActionSA spokesperson, Lerato Ngobeni, said: “ActionSA has maintained that Ramaphosa has serious questions to answer for possibly breaking the law. Despite Gcaleka’s whitewash report on the Phala Phala farm saga, it remains unclear why the dollars were hidden in a couch, why they were not declared to the revenue service, and why a covert operation took place to investigate the crime when a case was not opened”.
Democratic Alliance Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen, similarly slammed the report as being disingenuous and not sincere.
“Given that Advocate Gcaleka is vying for the top job within the Office of the Public Protector, her report reads more like a job interview than a concluded investigation. By burying the merits of this investigation in legal jargon and semantics, and contorting the law in her interpretation of both the Executive Members Ethics Act and the Constitution, she has attempted to paint President Cyril Ramaphosa as nothing more than an innocent bystander to the Phala Phala scandal, oblivious to the workings of the Presidential Protection Services, his responsibilities as the head of South Africa’s national executive, and his duty as the first citizen of the nation,” he explained.
African Transformation Movement leader Vuyolwethu Zungula, one of the official complainants in the matter, rejected Gcaleka’s findings.
He said in a statement that the ATM would approach the High Court “with the aim of reviewing this report by the acting Public Protector and having it set aside”.
“The president has to account for his crimes in Phala Phala and we will not rest until he does,” said Zungula.
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