Ramaphosa cleared of improper conduct related to R84 billion Mooikloof development
It follows a complaint by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) that he had flouted the Public Finance Management Act by allegedly personally inviting a property developer to participate in the project.
President Cyril Ramaphosa holds an engagement with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC on 23 February 2024. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - The Public Protector has cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa of improper conduct in connection with the Mooikloof Mega Residential City in Tshwane.
It follows a complaint by the African Transformation Movement (ATM) that he had flouted the Public Finance Management Act by allegedly personally inviting a property developer to participate in the project.
But Kholeka Gcaleka said that given that the mega-city project was one of government’s designated, strategic public-private developments, the complaint against him was unsubstantiated.
Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka on Thursday released the findings of the last tranche of investigations for the 2023/24 financial year.
Among those is a maladministration complaint from the ATM, involving the R84 billion Megakloof housing development, launched by Ramaphosa in 2020.
Gcaleka said as a public-private partnership, Ramaphosa was not out of line in inviting contractors to get involved and his conduct could not be considered as meddling in state procurement.
"Therefore, the conduct of the president and/or the Presidency does not constitute improper conduct as envisaged in section 182(1)(a) of the Constitution and maladministration as contemplated in section 6(4)(a)(i) of the Public Protector Act, 1994."
Last year, Gcaleka cleared Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala farm matter, another complaint lodged by the ATM, which has now been taken on legal review.