Bosasa: Maimane warns Ramaphosa to keep his hands off public funds

As the Bosasa scandal intensifies for President Ramaphosa, the man who caused all of this upheaval has issued another stark warning for his opposite number: Mmusi Maimane has implored Cyril to fund his own legal defence, rather than rely on the state coffers like his predecessor Jacob Zuma did.

Bosasa, Cyril Ramaphosa and Mmusi Maimane

It’s understood that Ramaphosa is preparing a review application, anticipating the decision of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on the matter. The official is under scrutiny to hold the president accountable, but she’s also been labelled as “partisan” by her pro-Cyril detractors.

If you want to talk complicated relationships with Mkhwebane, you look no further than the DA: They have registered a plethora of problems with the PP since she took office in 2016. But the party are now hoping their former adversary does them a favour when it comes to reviewing Ramaphosa’s engagement with the likes of Gavin Watson.

A mystery R500 000 from Bosasa found its way into the donations for Cyril’s ANC leadership campaign. Of course, the company has been riddled by corruption, and their association with Ramaphosa is a source of serious contention. The president is accused of misleading Parliament when he denied knowledge of the payment back in November.

“Don’t do a Zuma”

Now, with the mother of all cases lying in wait – Cyril’s own “Nkandla”, if you will – Mmusi Maimane is asking Cyril Ramaphosa to do the right thing: He wants the president to fund his own legal defence, as “South Africa cannot afford” to support another president’s legal battles:

“I have today approached President Ramaphosa in writing, requesting an undertaking that he will not use any public money to fund his legal action. In particular, the President must reassure South Africans that he does not intend to use the services of the State Attorney or cause the State Attorney to pay legal practitioners on his behalf relating to this matter.”

“It is our view that the donation was not made to the President as then Deputy President, but rather as a private citizen in pursuit of elected office in the ANC. Similarly, if the Public Protector finds he did mislead the National Assembly, this would have been in respect of his actions as a private citizen.”

Mmusi Maimane

Jacob Zuma had used at least R16 million of state funds to fight his own numerous court battles over the years. In fact, that figure has ballooned over the R30 million mark by some unofficial estimates. An extensive team of lawyers commanding six-figure fees each and numerous “delays and postponements” contributed to the total.