Steenhuisen complaint against Ramaphosa rejected by public protector

The public protector has rejected a complaint by DA leader John Steenhuisen that president Cyril Ramaphosa broke the executive code of ethics and acted improperly by promoting a Gauteng job and skills programme at an ANC rally ahead of last year’s elections. 

A report on the matter from public protector Kholeka Gcaleka was tabled before National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza on Thursday.

Gcaleka investigated allegations of abuse of power and/or improper conduct and breach of the constitution and the executive ethics code by Ramaphosa in a speech he made at Zandspruit, Gauteng, in April last year 

The public protector noted that on April 5 2024, the department of employment & labour issued a media statement on the launch of the Hoi Hoi Gauteng labour activation programme.

The programme was launched by the Gauteng provincial government in partnership with the department on April 7. Thereafter, Ramaphosa communicated the information about the programme during an ANC public gathering at the Zandspruit taxi rank on April 13. 

“There is no evidence before the public protector to conclude that the statement by the president, communicating what was previously communicated or announced by the Gauteng provincial government and in the public domain, was in violation of the constitution.

“The public protector finds that there is no basis upon which to conclude that the president breached  the code,” the report said.

Steenhuisen argued that by sharing a government-funded programme during a political party campaign, Ramaphosa portrayed the initiative as an achievement of the ANC and thereby exposed him to the risk of a conflict between his official duties and private interests in violation of the provisions of the code. 

Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa was not entitled to use his position as the president of SA to benefit the ANC, of which he is also president.

The code prohibits members of the executive from exposing themselves to a risk of conflict between their official responsibilities and their private interests.

However, Gcaleka said the evidence did not support this contention. 

“No evidence was placed before the public protector to prove that the president benefited in his personal capacity, or his political party, when he spoke about the labour activation programme.

“In the absence of that information, a conclusion to this effect cannot be drawn,” the report said. The information imparted by Ramaphosa was already in the public domain. 

ensorl@businesslive.co.za