Impeached former Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, is relentless in her push for President Cyril Ramaphosa to account for his
Phala Phala farm saga.
Her foundation has penned a letter to the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Shamila Batohi, requesting an urgent review of the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision not to prosecute the President.
Earlier this month, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo announced its decision not to charge Cyril Ramaphosa and the head of his protection detail, General Wally Rhoode .
Advocate, Mukhali Ivy Thenga, says the decision was taken after a careful assessment of all available evidence presented to the prosecutors. Thenga concluded that there was no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution based on evidence contained in the docket.
The cloud hanging over the President has been a bone of contention since former intelligence boss, Arthur Fraser, requested that Ramaphosa and his bodyguard be probed for attempting to cover up the multi-million-dollar theft at the farm in 2020.
According to the NPA in Limpopo, their probe as requested by Fraser covered any possible contravention of the lncome Tax Act and and Exchange Control Regulation.
A number of crucial public entities, including the Office of the Public Protector and the South African Reserve Bank, have cleared the President of any wrongdoing in the matter.
Ramaphosa maintains that the thousands of US dollars stolen from the farm in 2020 were proceeds from the sale of buffalos to Sudanese businessman, Hazim Musatafa.
Mkhwebane and the President have been at odds since her suspension during her tenure as the Public Protector, which she believes was a direct result of her investigation into the Phala Phala theft.
Next month, the Constitutional Court will hear the ATM and EFF’s application to revive impeachment proceedings against Ramaphosa.
In December last year, the President survived the bid to remove him after 214 MPs voted against setting up the section 89 process, while 148 MPs gave it a thumbs up.