THE office of the Public Protector South Africa has indicated that the investigation into allegations of abuse of state resources by President Cyril Ramaphosa, was at an “advanced stage”.
The probe followed a complaint lodged in October 2022 by Elias Muller requesting the Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, to investigate Ramaphosa in what he described as a “violation or contravention of the Constitution, abuse of power, state resources for the benefit of the African National Congress”, the party Ramaphosa leads.
In his complaint, Muller told Gcaleka that Ramaphosa used a SA Defence Force (SANDF) helicopter to attend an ANC campaign in Welkom on October 8, 2022.
“The President failed to conduct himself in a manner that is beyond reproach, as required by the constitution of the country.
“The President was attending the ANC’s Letsema campaign in Welkom in the Free State province. I believe that the president crossed the line between party and state, and as such, his conduct was irregular.
“The President's irregular conduct is a clear abuse of power, abuse of state resources for party interests, and violation or contravention of the Constitution that he took oath to uphold. I believe that the president failed to live up to the standard required of someone occupying his office, which is the highest office in the country,” Muller wrote.
He also asked Gcaleka to investigate Ramaphosa’s handing over of a RDP house during the Letsema campaign in the Northern Cape, where he arrived at the home of Ouma Martha Louw in Donkerhoek, as part of his campaign activities, and celebrated her 82nd birthday and the official handing over of her new RDP home.
Muller said that the president was conducting a private ANC activity and not on a state business when he handed over the house.
“It is irregular and unjustifiable for an RDP (house) built with taxpayer's money to be issued by a political party, instead of the government. I believe that the President is abusing his powers during his party's Letsema campaigns, as we saw previously how he used a machine belonging to one Mpumalanga municipality to fix potholes during the Letsema campaign,” he wrote.
The Public Protector’s office said it would release its findings soon.
“The PPSA can confirm that it is investigating the matter regarding the alleged handing over of an RDP house during the ANC Letsema campaign. The investigation is at an advanced stage, and the PPSA will release its findings in due course,” PPSA spokesperson, Khulu Phasiwethe said.
In January, the Democratic Alliance condemned the continued exploitation of the “ambiguity between the Ministerial Handbook and the Presidential Handbook” by Ramaphosa and his deputy Paul Mashatile – accusing the pair of regularly commanding SA Air Force (Saaf) aircrafts to attend ANC party political events.
“The handbook makes no provision for the use of the Saaf for the transportation of members of the executive and political party functionaries for political party purposes. Ramaphosa and Mashatile’s actions are not only irresponsible and inappropriate, but also show unbridled abuse of state resources.
“The horrendous state of the SANDF, especially the Saaf, whose budgets continue to deteriorate rapidly affects the defense force’s mission preparedness.
“The dilapidated state of the Saaf’s prime mission equipment, with more than 85% of air platforms grounded; and clear evidence that there is no money to maintain, provide essential upgrades, and ensure that our pilots and aircrew are compliant with minimum currencies/competency levels of flying,” DA member of Parliament Kobus Marius said.
Ramaphosa has defended the ministerial handbook saying the state was required to ensure that political office bearers, including ministers, deputy ministers, premiers, and MECs were provided with resources and enabling facilities to perform their duties effectively.
“The guide for members of the executive provides a framework to manage the extent to which the state provides these tools of trade. The adoption of the guide is not done in terms of any legislative provision, but is the result of a cabinet decision that the tools of the trade need to be defined and regulated,” he said responding to DA leader John Steenhuisen, who had asked what legislative provisions he had relied on to allow for the existence of the ministerial handbook.
Meanwhile, former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula had her salary docked and the ANC paid a portion of its share of the cost for the lift she granted them to meet with the Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe while she was Defence Minister.
The cost of the trip was R232 000 and the ANC portion was R105 000.
Ramaphosa called it an “error of judgement” and decided to dock Mapisa-Nqakula's pay.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za