JUST IN: Constitutional Court rules that Ramaphosa had grounds to suspend Mkhwebane

President Cyril Ramaphosa had reasonable grounds to suspend Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

NEWS JUST IN – IT WAS FOUND THAT RAMAPHOSA HAD GROUND TO SUSPEND MKHWEBANE

The Constitutional Court has found that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to suspend Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane was lawful and rational.

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The Western Cape Division of the High Court had ruled the suspension illegal in September 2022, but the ConCourt has now unanimously overturned that ruling.

RAMAPHOSA’S DECISION TO SUSPEND MKHWEBANE WAS LAWFUL AND RATIONAL

President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted and welcomed judgement by the Constitutional Court, affirming the President’s adherence to due process and fairness in the process of suspending Public Protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

This comes after Ramaphosa suspended Mkhwebane from the office of the Public Protector effective 9 June 2022.

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This happened just ONE DAY AFTER she had sent 31 questions to him as part of her investigation into the Phala Phala farm robbery. In their eyes, the timing was ‘suspect’ – and Cyril stands accused of ‘unlawful conduct’.

SHE WAS SUSPENDED ONE DAY AFTER SHE SENT 31 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PHALA PHALA INVESTIGATION

Last year, the Western Cape high court set aside President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to suspend Busisiwe Mkhwebane\ as public protector as unlawful because it could reasonably be seen as retaliation for her decision to investigate a complaint against him flowing from the theft at his game farm.

The court noted that the ruling handed down the day after Mkhwebane’s suspension rejected her submission that a conflict of interest, rooted in the fact that her office was investigating various complaints against him, disqualified him from exercising his constitutional power in this regard.

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LAST YEAR THE HIGH COURT RULED THE SUSPENSION UNLAWFUL

But subsequent to that case having been heard by the court, two more complaints against Ramaphosa were brought to her office – one related to Glencore and another to the theft of foreign currency from his Limpopo game farm.

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