#Bosasagate: President Ramaphosa failures to declare conflict of interest, Public Protector needs to investigate
18 April 2019
Today I viewed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Declaration of Interests for the 2018/19 financial year since his election in February 2018. Once a year, the President is required by the Executive Ethics Code to disclose the details of all his financial interests to the Secretary of Cabinet, Dr Cassius Lubisi.
I can confirm that President Ramaphosa has failed to declare the clear conflict of interest that exists between himself, his son Andile, and the corrupt systems management company Bosasa.
It is our view that President Ramaphosa has misled his own Cabinet and in doing so breached the Executive Ethics Code. I will therefore approach the Public Protector to formally include this omission by the President in her ongoing investigation into what can only be described as insider trading between the Ramaphosas and Bosasa.
Section 2(3)(d) of the Executive Ethics Code is clear that Executive members may not "use their position or any information entrusted to them, to enrich themselves or improperly benefit any other person." The Public Protector must investigate whether President Ramaphosa has indeed breached this section of the Executive Ethics Code.