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The Western Cape High Court of South Africa court recently quashed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s suspension of South Africa’s public protector a day after she launched a probe into a burglary at his farmhouse. The judge called the move “improper” while quashing the executive decision
The Western Cape High Court of South Africa court recently quashed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s suspension of South Africa’s public protector a day after she launched a probe into a burglary at his farmhouse. The judge called the move “improper” while quashing the executive decision.
The Court said the hurried nature of the suspension of Busisiwe Mkhwebane suggested it was a retaliatory action and thus unlawful. Rampahosa suspended Mkhwebane in June shortly after she sent him questions over the alleged cover-up of a burglary at his farm, in the northern part of the country. Mkhwebane had been appointed public protector by former president Jacob Zuma. It was seen as an attempt to escape from corruption claims. The public protector is an independent state institution set up to defend democracy and investigate improper conduct. The court’s ruling will put pressure on Ramphosa who has been accused by lawmakers of failing to answer questions on the case before parliament. The president will be facing an election by the end of this year for the top post in the party and later in 2024 for the post of president.
The process to suspend Mkhwebane started in March. However, it appeared to have been accelerated by the launch of the farm theft probe. The probe over alleged breaches of the executive ethics code was opened after Ramaphosa was accused of covering up a 2020 heist at his Phala Phala game farmhouse. A police report filed by former spy boss Arthur Fraser who in June alleged Ramaphosa hid the US $4 million cash robbery from authorities.
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The president has acknowledged the burglary. But he denied kidnapping and disputed the amount of money involved. He said that the money stolen came from legitimate sales of games from his animal-breeding farm.
