‘Find Cyril Ramaphosa guilty’
JOHANNESBURG – The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has questioned why acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka let President Cyril Ramaphosa off the hook despite ‘clear evidence’ that he had violated the Constitution and other laws in the way he conducted his game farm business interests and the manner in which he dealt with the Phala Phala money theft scandal.
The party has submitted a 90-page response to the public protector’s interim report, which found in favour of Ramaphosa.
The ATM is among four complainants who approached the public protector to investigate Ramaphosa, who was accused of having violated various laws in relation to receiving ‘other paid work’ as the head of State, failing to report the theft of US$580 000 in cash from his Phala Phala farm, as required by the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA), a conflict of interests and unlawfully instructing the police to go after those who had allegedly broken into his farm to steal the money.
In her interim report, Gcaleka cleared Ramphosa of unlawful behaviour and found no basis for allegations that he had violated the Executive Members Ethics Act (EMEA) in exposing himself to a conflict of interest between his constitutional responsibilities and his private interests by being involved in paid work, in relation to his game farm businesses.
Gcaleka said this was because there was no evidence that Ramaphosa received remuneration or was involved in the day-to-day operations of Phala Phala.
She added that allegations that he had abused his power and acted unlawfully by instructing the Head of Presidential Protection Unit, Major General Wally Rhoode, to probe the theft of the money were also not substantiated, as he was legally entitled to the service of the unit, including in his private residences.