It is Busi vs Cyril again with ANC jet junket investigation – analyst

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, on the back foot for so long, could be looking for payback against President Cyril Ramaphosa as she probes the ANC’s irregular use of a SA Air Force executive jet to take a VIP group to Zimbabwe.

Mkhwebane has had to eat humble pie on repeated occasions in the courts over her handling of various reports, including one
into Ramaphosa, after he frustrated her attempts to censure him over the alleged R500,000 payment to his CR17 election campaign by the controversial Bosasa group.

She could turn the tables on Ramaphosa if it turns out that the president was aware of, and approved the ANC group trip to Harare, said a political expert.

However, her reviewed reports might outweigh any adverse finding against Ramaphosa, said another.

Political economy analyst Daniel Silke said by investigating the matter, the public protector may be on a tit for tat mission against the president.

The High Court in Pretoria early this year set aside her Ramaphosa finding and described it as “confused, inexplicable and irrational”, saying she violated her powers, failed to apply the law correctly, nor properly assess the evidence.

The court said Mkhwebane failed to understand her jurisdiction.

Mkhwebane said in July 2019 that Ramaphosa had misled parliament when he said R500,000 had been paid by Bosasa or African Global Operations to his son Andile, when it was to his CR17 campaign.

“It does look like the public protector feels ‘where there is smoke there is fire’ relating to the Zimbabwe trip and the possibility for embarrassing the president. It may well be that she is playing a game of tit for tat should he be implicated in prior knowledge or even tacit approval of the use of the airplane,” Silke said.

However, it would clearly depend on her findings which he would not want to prejudge.

“Whatever the outcome here, this issue is unlikely to have any bearing on her own performance thus far and her legal setbacks
will be more important than this issue. Still, she can still embarrass the president if there is indeed wrongdoing,” Silke said.

Political analyst Professor Susan Booysen said Mkhwebane had such an avalanche of adverse finding against her that there is
little chance that she would enjoy fruits of finding against Ramaphosa – even if he is found to have known about the flight.

“Given that she is known (through evidence) that she is determined to find against Ramaphosa, on some case or another, an investigation by this public protector would also suffer credibility deficits,” Booysen said.

Dr Ralph Mathekga said Ramaphosa’s government would have to take the responsibility for the Zimbabwe junket.

“Their case sits right in the middle of the factional battle within the ANC. However, Ramaphosa will find it difficult to distance himself from the mess. He is ultimately responsible for what happens in government.”

Mkhwebane confirmed her office was approached by various parties to investigate the trip of a high-powered ANC delegation, led by party secretary-general Ace Magashule, using a SA Air Force plane to attend a meeting with Zimbabwe’s governing
Zanu-PF.

The Democratic Alliane, Freedom Front Plus, Congress of the People and African Transformation Movement condemned it.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald demanded the trip’s cost.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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