In a statement released on Sunday, Mkhwebane emphasised that any review proceedings must be coupled with an interdict to stay the implementation of remedial action. (Madelene Cronje)
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have called for President Cyril Ramaphosa to take a leave of absence while he takes the public protector’s report, that found that he misled Parliament over the R500 000 Bosasa donation to his ANC presidential campaign, on review.
The EFF, in a statement released on Sunday evening, described Ramaphosa as “conflicted” and said he should go on leave “until his name is cleared”.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane announced her findings against Ramaphosa on Friday. In her bombshell report, Mkhwebane also found that there was “merit” in the suspicion of money laundering, because the payment passed through “several intermediaries, instead of a straight donation towards the CR17 campaign”.
Mkhwebane said she has notified the national director of public prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, of her findings for further investigation.
Ramaphosa called a press briefing on Sunday where he announced that he would seek an “urgent judicial review” of the public protector’s report which he described as “fundamentally and irretrievably flawed”.
“This is strongly confirmed by my legal representatives who have equally studied the public protector’s report very thoroughly. The report contains numerous factual inaccuracies of a material nature. The findings we found are wrong in law, are irrational, and in some instances exceed the scope of the powers of the public protector,” Ramaphosa said.
According to the EFF, the press briefing, “which sought to recover lost integrity ground” was “30 minutes of blowing hot air without anything concrete.”
“A man elected on the ticket of transparency should have revealed who funded his campaign to become president of (the) ANC and accept the mistakes of having not declared all this money as it is required by law. This is especially because he does not deny that money was raised in his name and for him.The essential point therefore is, he did not declare this money to either parliament or his principal then. This is in violation of the law and the constitution of the Republic,” the EFF’s statement read.
The red berets further called on the National Prosecuting Authority, Parliament and the Hawks to implement the remedial action against Ramaphosa as recommended by Mkhwebane.