Cape Town – Newly-appointed Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has reportedly announced her opposition to the Hola Bon Renaissance (HBR) Foundation’s attempt to overturn her report that exonerated President Cyril Ramaphosa in the case of the 2020 theft of undeclared US dollars at his Limpopo farm.
The HBR Foundation, along with the African Transformation Movement, had sought to challenge Gcaleka’s report, claiming that the theft did not constitute state affairs or public administration, IOL reported.
They argued that Gcaleka’s report shielded the president from criminal prosecution and criticized her for not considering a prior section 89 panel report.
Gcaleka cleared the president of violating the executive ethics code and abuse of power in the case.
She defended her report by stating that her investigation did not delve into the sale of the money, which she argued was a private matter beyond the scope of the Public Protector’s authority.
”Our report and our investigation did not investigate the sale, because we do not have the powers to do so. It is a private matter that does not fall within the ambit of the Public Protector,” she explained during her interview in August for the position to which Ramaphosa permanently appointed her this week.
“Yes, I stand by it because we did not say it is a sale. We did not confirm there was a legal sale, which took place. We worked on what was before us,” the report quoted Gcaleka as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
