Public Protector confirms that Des van Rooyen lied to Parliament

12 February 2018

The Public Protector has confirmed that Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Des van Rooyen, lied to parliament when he denied visiting the Gupta’s compound in Saxonwold in the run-up to his disastrous appointment as Finance Minister.

The Public Protector, responding to the DA’s complaint in October 2016, that Van Rooyen is investigated, found that:

- Minister Van Rooyen deliberately made a misleading statement to the National Assembly when he replied to the questions of ever having met with and visited the residence of the Gupta family since taking office, thereby violating paragraph 2.3 (a) of the Executive Ethics Code; and that

- Minister van Rooyen’s conduct was also in violation of section 96(1) and 96(2)(b) of the Constitution.

The Public Protector has recommended that the President act against Van Rooyen, within 30 days and that the report is tabled in the National Assembly within 14 days of the President receiving the report.

The DA has also recently written to House Chairperson, Cedric Frolick, to implore him to compel the Portfolio Committee for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to institute a formal enquiry into the extent of State Capture in the Department as repeated requests to the Committee’s Chairperson, Hon. Richard Mdakane, have been routinely ignored.

This can no longer be the case and the DA will ensure that all allegations of State Capture in CoGTA and thoroughly and urgently investigated.

Issued by Kevin Mileham, DA Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, 12 February 2018