THE Office of the Public Protector Busiswe Mkhwebane has received a complaint from a Member of Parliament, Mervin Dirks, alleging that President Cyril Ramaphosa breached the executive code of ethics.
Mkhwebane’s office said in a statement on Thursday that an investigation has be done within 30 days.
“The Public Protector South Africa wishes to confirm that a complaint, in which a Member of Parliament has alleged a breach of the Executive Code of Ethics against the President, reached the office late afternoon on Wednesday, 26 January 2022,” spokesperson Oupa Segalwe said in a statement.
“The complaint was lodged in terms of the Executive Members Ethics Act 82 of 1998 (EMEA). The PPSA has been inundated with queries about the complaint since the sitting of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts earlier in the week.”
“The PPSA wishes to remind all concerned that in terms of the EMEA, the Public Protector must investigate any alleged breach of the Code on receipt of a complaint by the President, a member of the National Assembly or a permanent delegate of the National Council of Provinces if the complaint is against a Cabinet member or a Deputy Minister.”
Suspended ANC MP Mervyn Dirk has been identified as the complainant.
Dirks wrote to the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) asking it to call Ramaphosa to appear before it after his comments to the party’s top structure on the misuse of public funds in campaigns.
The ANC had asked for the withdrawal of his letter before slapping him with suspension.
- Inside Politics
