Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe asks the Public Protector to investigate allegations made against him and his partner

12 Mar 2012

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on Monday wrote to the Public Protector requesting her to investigate allegations made against him and his partner, Ms Gugu Mtshali. The allegations were contained in a Sunday Times report published on 11 March 2012 which states, inter alia, that: "Deputy President Motlanthe's partner, Gugu Mtshali, has been implicated in soliciting a R104 million 'bribe' to obtain government support for a South African company trying to clinch a R2 billion sanction-busting deal with Iran" (see here).

Both Deputy President Motlanthe and Ms Mtshali are firmly of the view that they have committed no wrong doing of any kind in relation to the alleged events described in the Sunday Times story.

Having regard to the serious nature of the allegations and imputations of the story, Deputy President Motlanthe is of the view that the issues should be subject to an investigation by the Public Protector. The Deputy President and Ms Mtshali will make themselves available to provide any information to the Public Protector should she decide to investigate the allegations. 

Statement issued by Thabo Masebe, The Presidency, March 12 2012

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