The Executive Ethics Code is yet again in the spotlight- this time it involves the Public Protector’s finding into the theft of millions of US dollars in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in Limpopo in February 2020. The Acting Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka found that President Cyril Ramaposa did not violate the Executive Ethics Code in the Phala Phala matter. Ramapho was accused of breaching the Executive Ethics Code and being in a conflict of interest between his constitutional obligations and his private interests arising from his alleged paid work at Phala Phala.

In 2022, the Constitutional Court upheld a Gauteng High Court judgment that found legislation in the Executive Ethics Code was unconstitutional and invalid as it did not require members of the executive to disclose “donations made to campaigns for their election to positions within political parties- this was about the donations that were made to Ramaphosa’s “CR17” campaign for the ANC presidency…

At the time, the now suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found that the president was in breach of the Executive Ethics Code for not disclosing an R500 000 donation to his campaign for the ANC presidency in 2017 which was received from former Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson.

Bongiwe Zwane spoke to the Director of Accountability Now, Advocate Paul Hoffman and Political Analyst, Sysman Motloung…