Central SA
Ramaphosa responds to Public Protector ruling─── LUCKY NKUYANE 08:07 Sat, 10 Sep 2022
President Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted to the Western Cape High Court's judgment which set aside his suspension of the Public Protector (PP).
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, says the president has noted the ruling handed down by the Court on Friday 9 September 2022, stating that his decision to suspend Advocate (Adv.) Busisiwe Mkhwebane is invalid.
PRESIDENCY’S RESPONSE TO WC HIGH COURT DECISION ON ADV. MKHWEBANE
— Presidency | South Africa ???? (@PresidencyZA) September 9, 2022
The Presidency has noted the ruling handed down by the Western Cape High Court this afternoon, 09 September 2022, stating that President @CyrilRamaphosa’s decision to suspend Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane is invalid.
In June this year, Ramaphosa said in accordance with the Constitution he decided to suspend Adv. Mkhwebane from the office of the PP effective 9 June 2022.
ALSO READ: President Ramaphosa suspends Public Protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane
Mkhwebane is currently going through a Parliamentary inquiry which is testing her fitness to hold office with issues including the Free State's controversial Estina/Vrede dairy project coming up continuously during the session.
ALSO READ: Reinstated Free State Head of Public Protector testifies against Mkhwebane
Magwenya adds that the presidency will seek guidance from the Constitution on the next steps to be taken.
The suspension of Mkhwebane follows the president’s Phala Phala farm saga where millions of dollars were stolen.
Ramaphosa has since been under fire from opposition parties at the National Assembly (NA) with some like the EFF, African Transformation Movement (ATM) and the DA calling for his resignation.
But Ramaphosa has denied that he has done wrong and further refused to comment on the matter whilst law enforcement agencies or Chapter 9 institutions, such as the PP’s office and the Reserve Bank of South Africa, deal with, and investigate the matter.
On Friday, eight opposition parties, including some of the aforementioned opposition parties, held a picket march outside the office of the PP to hand over a memorandum of demands to the acting PP, Advocate Nompilo Kholeka Gcaleke.
They accused her office of being in breach of the South African Constitutional law by failing to release a report from her investigation into a 2020 burglary at Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm. However, she has promised that her investigation into the matter is without fear or favour.
ALSO READ: Acting PP on Friday received a memorandum
