Africa-Press – South-Africa. Shortly after acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa was cleared in the Public Protector’s Phala Phala investigation, the ATM announced it would challenge her report in court.
ATM leader Vuyolwethu Zungula, one of the complainants in the matter, rejected Gcaleka’s findings.
He said in a statement that the ATM would approach the High Court “with the aim of reviewing this report by the acting Public Protector and having it set aside”.
“The president has to account for his crimes in Phala Phala and we will not rest until he does,” said Zungula.
DA leader John Steenhuisen was also a complainant in the matter, and described Gcaleka’s report as a “whitewash”.
“The Democratic Alliance will be consulting with our lawyers to take this report on review as we believe it contains a number of misinterpretations of the relevant pieces of legislation, and presents a worrying lack of evidence that the Office of the Public Protector itself has seemingly failed to source.
Steenhuisen said in a statement.
Gcaleka announced on Friday that her office’s investigation cleared Ramaphosa from wrongdoing. However, the head of Ramaphosa’s protection services, Major-General Wally Rhoode, has been found to have conducted an unsanctioned investigation following the burglary at Phala Phala.
Phala Phala became a burning issue in June after the former director-general at the State Security Agency and former commissioner of correctional services, Arthur Fraser, opened a kidnapping and money laundering case against Ramaphosa, Rhoode, and Crime Intelligence members for allegedly concealing a burglary at Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in February 2020.
An independent panel appointed by Parliament found Ramaphosa had a prima facie case to answer to, but in December last year the National Assembly voted against impeachment. The ANC has also blocked ad hoc committees to investigate Phala Phala.
Several other authorities, including the Hawks and the South African Reserve Bank, are still investigating the matter.
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