Ramaphosa denies Public Protector’s office is being ‘punished’
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied opposition charges that the office of the Public Protector was being denied adequate funding as punishment for its findings against President Jacob Zuma.
Ramaphosa told the National Assembly that economic constraints were to blame for a lack of funding affecting many entities, and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s was just one of them.
“The office is well respected, not only in terms of our constitution … at the political level as well,” he said.
“The fact that the Public Protector has complained about funding is clearly a reality. The Public Protector’s office is not the only office that is short of funding, there are many other institutions or offices in our country that are short of funding and this is so because of the economic constraints that we have, the Public Protector’s office is clearly not being singled out.”
He was responding to supplementary questions from the Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance who suggested government had “neutered” Madonsela’s office since she released her report on the security upgrade at Zuma’s rural home in which she found that he had unduly benefitted and should reimburse the state for luxuries added to the property.
Instead Zuma left the decision about whether he owed any money to Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, who concluded he did not.
The EFF has taken the matter to the Constitutional Court where it will he heard in February.
ANA
File photo: Gallo Images