IRR seeks clarity on Ramaphosa’s 31 Phala Phala questions

24 March 2023

The IRR has sent a follow-up letter to Acting Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka requesting that she updates the status of the so-called Phala Phala Report and publishes the answers that President Cyril Ramaphosa gave to the so-called “31 Phala Phala questions”.

These are the questions that Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane put to the president two days before he suspended her on June 9, 2022.

The IRR first wrote to Adv. Gcaleka on 5 December 2022. Despite our request and subsequent PAIA application, the Acting Public Protector’s office has not published the president's answers to Advocate Mkhwebane’s 31 questions.

On 10 March (13 days ago) Adv. Gcaleka sent her preliminary report to its subjects for their response, requesting that this be provided within ten days. However, due to an alleged leak, rumours of the report’s contents are rife, increasingly eroding trust in the process.

Therefore, we have sent her a letter requesting clarity on the following: (i) Have any of the respondents asked for and been granted an extension to respond? (ii) Are you prepared to release the findings? (iii) Do you agree that transparency is essential to mitigating credibility risks?

Said Mlondi Mdluli, IRR Campaign Manager: “There is no reason for Adv. Gcaleka to withhold President Ramaphosa’s answers to the 31 questions on Phala Phala. It is well within her powers to make them public.”

Issued by Gabriel Crouse, IRR Head of Campaigns, 24 March 2023