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Public Protector’s attempt to force a response from Ramaphosa was unnecessary: Presidency

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The Presidency says the Public Protector’s Office’s attempt to force a response from President Cyril Ramaphosa was unnecessary as he’s always willing to comply.

Ramaphosa has sent his response to the 31 questions that the Public Protector’s Office had sent him regarding the robbery at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.

This follows the Office’s threat to subpoena Ramaphosa.

He was expected to comply with the request by Monday but failed to do so, after missing an earlier deadline in June and seeking an extension.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says the President’s busy schedule had caused the delay in sending the response.

“There was an attempt for a meeting to explain the reasoning behind the request for an extension but that meeting, unfortunately, did not occur, however, I can tell you now that the responses to the Public Protector have been delivered and have been received by the Office of the Public Protector.”

President Ramaphosa responds to PP’s questions about Phala Phala farm theft:

Magwenya says the President has been busy, but efforts had been made to communicate with the Chapter Nine Institution.

“The threat of the subpoena was unnecessary; in our view, the President’s legal team was in communication with the Office of the Public Protector. There was an attempt for a meeting to explain the reasoning behind the request for an extension, that meeting, unfortunately, did not occur, however, I can tell you now that the responses to the Public Protector have been delivered and have been received by the Office of the Public Protector.”

Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office

Magwenya has also reiterated that President Cyril Ramaphosa has no intention of testifying at the Parliamentary inquiry into suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.

Some parliamentarians, as well as Mkhwebane’s legal council have called on Ramaphosa to give testimony regarding the basis of his decision to suspend Mkhwebane.

In the report below, questions continue to mount around the alleged theft at the Phala Phala farm:

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