Mkhwebane confirms Ramaphosa is implicated in Bosasa probe

President Cyril Ramaphosa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has confirmed in a letter to DA leader Mmusi Maimane that President Cyril Ramaphosa is implicated in her investigation into the R500‚000 donation he received from Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson.

In the letter she tells Maimane‚ who asked her to investigate whether Ramaphosa deliberately lied to parliament about that donation‚ the public protector confirms she served the president with a section 7(9 )notice on May 30.

A section 7(9) formally notifies a person that they are implicated in a public protector investigation and gives them 10 days to respond to the findings against them.

Mkhwebane told Maimane that Ramaphosa requested an extension until June 28 to respond to her Bosasa report‚ but she had given him until June 21 to do so.

According to Mkhwebane‚ the president had also asked to cross-examine some of the people she had interviewed as part of her investigation‚ including Maimane.

“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.”

Mkhwebane took to social media last week to announce that public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan was implicated in her probe into the so-called rogue unit at the SA Revenue Service.

She also took to social media to announce that her investigation into Ramaphosa was at an advanced stage‚ though falling short of confirming that she had served the president with a similar notice.

In a separate letter sent last week‚ Mkhwebane hit back at Maimane for accusing her of not properly investigating the Gupta-linked Vrede Dairy Project scandal‚ one of several reports that have been set aside by the courts‚ raising questions about her competence and suitability for the job.

The DA wants to bring a motion to parliament on her fitness to hold office.

Mkhwebane told Maimane in that letter that she would still be around to release the Ramaphosa report‚ “unless you succeed in your party’s motion to have me removed”.

This is a developing story.

- BusinessLIVE