Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has confirmed in a letter to Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane that President Cyril Ramaphosa is implicated in her investigation into the R500,000 donation he received from Bosasa chief Gavin Watson, Business Day reports.

Maimane, who requested that Mkhwebane investigate whether Ramaphosa lied to Parliament about the donation, received confirmation in the Public Protector's message that Ramaphosa was served a with a section 7(9) notice on May 30. A section 7(9) notifies a person they are implicated in an investigation by the public protector and allows them 10 days to respond to findings made against them.

Mkhwebane added in her letter to Maimane that Ramaphosa had until June 21 to respond to her Bosasa report, despite the President requesting an extension to June 28. Ramaphosa also requested to cross-examine several people Mkhwebane interviewed for her report, including Maimane.

According to News24, the Democratic Alliance's complaint against Ramaphosa arose after he initially told the National Assembly that his son Andile had received money from Bosasa for services rendered in terms of a consultancy contract. The Presidency later corrected that reply in a letter to National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete. The president said the R500 000 payment in question was actually a donation that had been made to his ANC presidential campaign, of which he had previously been unaware.

 
Bosasa has received billions of rands in government contracts over the past decade and has been implicated in alleged corruption during the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture.

The Presidency confirms that President Cyril Ramaphosa has recieved 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.

 

In terms of the Public Protector Act, a section 7(9) is issued 

 

Ramaphosa has responded to the Public Protector requesting an extension of the period given to him to respond to the matters raised in the Public Protector’s provisional report. The Public Protector has granted such extension until 21 June 2019.

 

The President has further requested to exercise his entitlement to question the complainant, Mr Maimane and several witnesses which had appeared before the Public Protector during the course of her investigation in terms of section 7 (9) (b) (ii) of the Act.

 

The Presidency further stated that Ramaphosa remained "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.

-JP