We don’t need a commission of inquiry into Bosasa – Ramaphosa

At a question-and-answer session in parliament on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa ruled out another commission of inquiry into hugely controversial facilities management company Bosasa, after Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane called for one.

The proposed inquiry would deal with issues including donations made by the company to the president’s own CR17 campaign for the ANC presidency.

According to the president, the matter is already dealt with by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

“I have already deposed an affidavit to the commission regarding any contact or dealings I may have had with persons who have either appeared before the commission or have been named at the commission in one form or another,” he said.

“There is therefore absolutely no reason to establish a new inquiry to investigate a matter that is already being investigated by a sitting commission of inquiry.”

Ramaphosa also noted that commissions of inquiry cost the taxpayer millions, as another reason he doesn’t want to authorise a new one.

Regarding Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s recent report finding that the president had misled parliament over the R500,000 donation Bosasa’s Gavin Watson made to his son Andile, Ramaphosa said he will wait for the outcome of his judicial review of the report before commenting further.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa ‘deliberately misled parliament’ on Watson donation, Mkhwebane finds

“As for the report of the public protector, honourable members may know that this matter has been taken on urgent judicial review. We should allow the courts to make a determination on this matter. I am waiting for the courts to make a determination on this matter,” Ramaphosa said in parliament on Wednesday.

Releasing the report on her investigation into the donation on July 19, Mkhwebane said: “The allegations that on 6 November 2019, during a question and answer session in parliament, President Ramaphosa deliberately misled the National Assembly, is substantiated.

“He deliberately misled parliament, in that he should have allowed himself sufficient time to research on a well-informed response,” she said at a press conference in Pretoria.

By misleading parliament, Ramaphosa had also violated the Constitution, said Mkhwebane.

She gave Ramaphosa one month to disclose all the donations to his campaign to become ANC president.

In the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on August 12, however, Ramaphosa obtained an urgent interim interdict on the implementation of remedial action stipulated by Mkhwebane in the report.

This means the order that Ramaphosa must disclose all the campaign’s funders in parliament has been suspended awaiting the outcome of the president’s judicial review of the report.

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