President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the launch of the inaugural lecture of the Memory Project in honour of Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke at the Freedom Park,Pretoria,30 September 2015. Siyasanga Mbambani.
Ramaphosa officially implicated in Bosasa probe, will reply after SONA
The President has been served with a section 7(9) notice.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the launch of the inaugural lecture of the Memory Project in honour of Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke at the Freedom Park,Pretoria,30 September 2015. Siyasanga Mbambani.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been officially implicated by the Public Protector for receiving R500 000 from controversial businessman, Gavin Watson, the former CEO of Bosasa.
In a letter penned by Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, to Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Mmmusi Maimane, it was revealed that the president had been served with a section 7(9) notice on 30 May. This notice, endorsed by the Public Protector Act, is a formal request for compliance with active investigations.
Bosasa donation comes back to bite Ramaphosa
Part of the notice’s primary function is also to ascertain an official response from the implicated individual or organisation. While the respondent is generally given ten days to reply, in this case, Ramaphosa requested, and was granted, an extension.
The president will now be compelled, by law, to divulge details of the controversial ‘donation’ which has come back to haunt both him and his son, Andile.
The deadline for this reply is set to 21 June – the day after the much-anticipated State of The Nation Address (SONA).
The Presidency, on Wednesday, acknowledged the notice, stating:
“The Presidency confirms that President Cyril Ramaphosa has received a notice in terms of section 7(9) of the Public Protector Act with respect to an investigation into allegations of violations of the Executive Ethics Code.”
Maimane, who submitted a complaint to the Public Protector in November of last year, has argued that Ramaphosa purposefully misled parliament away from the glaringly obvious conflict of interest between the president, his son and Bosasa. Shortly before the Public Protector confirmed Ramaphosa’s extension, and by proxy, his commitment to ‘trial’, Maimane said:
“It is high time that Presidents, and their families’ who mislead Parliament are treated as equal before and held to account to the fullest might of the law.”
Ramaphosa to question Maimane
Presidency confirms receipt of notice from Public Protector https://t.co/RfbH8OFAFU
— PresidencyZA (@PresidencyZA) June 12, 2019
The leader of the opposition added that any further delays to the process would warrant an immediate release of the Public Protector’s report, which, according to sources, has already been finalised.
Ramaphosa has also lodged a request to cross-examine the complainant in this case – Maimane – adding that it this was sanctioned under terms of the Public Protector Act. According to Business Day, Mkhwebane confirmed that the request had been made, but added:
“I have requested President Ramaphosa to provide the questions they would want to ask, so that I can determine whether it is justifiable to allow that.”
The presidency confirmed that Ramaphosa would cooperate with the investigation, saying:
“The President remains committed to fully cooperating with the Public Protector in the course of her investigation and to ensuring that this matter is speedily brought to conclusion.”
