S.African President Ramaphosa wins another case against anti-corruption watchdog
Just days after winning another case against anti-corruption watchdog,South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has won another case.
A judge on Monday delayed implementation of findings linked to the watchdog’s claim that he misled parliament about a leadership campaign donation.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane had claimed in July that Ramaphosa had “deliberately misled” Parliament about the $32,500 donation for the 2017 campaign to succeed Jacob Zuma as head of the governing African National Congress (ANC).
She claimed there was prima facie evidence of money laundering involving millions of rand in the handling of donations for the campaign.
The president while responding to the claims termed her findings flawed, and was granted a stay order by the judge against the implementation of the anti-corruption monitors’s findings while he appeals.
Mkhwebane did not oppose Ramaphosa’s application for a stay order. She has lost several cases in which she has sought to force the implementation of disciplinary action before appeals against her findings were heard.
The case involves complaints made to the watchdog in November by opposition legislators that Ramaphosa had violated the executive ethics code over a donation to his son, Andile, by Gavin Watson, CEO of services company Bosasa.
Ramaphosa had told parliament at that time that the money was obtained legally for services he provided, but he later amended his statement by saying the payment was a donation towards his campaign.
The president’s supporters and critics of Mkhwebane say she is acting as a proxy for the pro-Zuma ANC faction.
She denies playing politics and says she is simply holding senior officials to account.
