Public Protector Completes Onvestigation On Phala Phala

The Public Protector’s probe into the events that transpired on the president’s Phala Phala farm has been completed.

The Public Protector’s office has been investigating whether Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated the Executive Ethics Code in relation to the theft of thousands of US dollars on his Limpopo farm, at the request of the African Transformation Movement (ATM).

The party has now been informed that an interim report has already been drafted.

The ATM had asked the Public Protector’s office to determine whether the president was in breach of his oath in connection with an alleged cover-up of events on his Limpopo farm in February 2020.

An independent panel investigation ordered by Parliament has already found that Ramaphosa may have a case to answer for, and that anti-corruption laws may also have been violated.

But last month, the National Assembly voted against proceeding with an impeachment inquiry.

The ATM, which initiated that process, has now been informed by the Public Protector’s investigation team, that its interim report on the Phala Phala farm burglary, is currently due for review for internal quality assurance purposes.

The ATM plans to head to court next month, to challenge proceedings of the National Assembly last month not to probe the matter any further.