Van Rooyen yet to make decision on Public Protector’s damning report

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des van Rooyen, had not decided by late yesterday if he would take Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report finding he lied to parliament on review.

That’s according to his spokesperson, Legadima Leso.

“It is concerning that I heard this rumour of a report through the media which was supposedly published on Friday and was never forwarded to me or me being alerted of it even if I am cited in it,” Van Rooyen said in a statement.

“Minister van Rooyen made it clear that neither he, nor his deputy ministers have ever met in their official capacities in government with members, employees and/or close associates of the Gupta family,” Leso said.

In 2016 Democratic Alliance chief whip John Steenhuisen, in a written question which ministers are compelled to answer, asked Van Rooyen if he or his deputies had ever met with members of the Gupta family or their close associates “since taking office”.

Van Rooyen denied it. Mkhwebane noted Van Rooyen’s cellphone records from the State of Capture report showed he was in the Saxonwold, Johannesburg, area on December 8 2017, and that calls were made from his cellphone in the Saxonwold area subsequent to his appointment as finance minister on December 9.

Van Rooyen told Mkhwebane he had only met members of the Gupta family in his capacity as the treasurer-general of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association.

“If the question was phrased to include whether I visited the family in my official capacity or in any other capacity, the answer would have been yes,” Van Rooyen reportedly said.

“Minister Van Rooyen has never disputed that he met anyone associated with the Gupta family outside of his portfolio,” Leso said.

Mkhwebane said “the president” had 14 days to submit her report to the National Assembly together with any recommended action, and 30 days to take “appropriate action” against Van Rooyen.

– amandaw@citizen.co.za

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