President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected UDM leader Bantu Holomisa’s invitation to testify over the CR17 campaign at suspended Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s impeachment hearings.
Vincent Mangwenya, the presidency spokesperson says General Holomisa’s speculation that the CR17 campaign “may have” used public funds is baseless, misdirected and vindictive.
“It is an abuse of parliamentary processes and privilege. It has never been alleged that public funds were used by the CR17 campaign. The Constitutional Court judgement last year ruled that the Public Protector had no authority to investigate the CR17 campaign, given that this was not an organ of state and therefore not within the Public Protector’s remit.
“Gen. Holomisa is well advised that the Constitutional Court remains the final arbiter of justice and its judgements must be accepted and respected. Parliament does not have the mandate to review Constitutional Court judgements in the separation of powers of the Executive, Legislative and the judiciary. The Section 194 inquiry into Advocate Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office is not a platform to make unsubstantiated allegations that fall outside the scope of inquiry,” said Mangwenya.
On Tuesday, UDM president, Bantu Holomisa proposed that Ramaphosa should come before parliament to give evidence.
Holomisa said he was of the view that the president should testify as well over his ANC presidential campaign of 2017, which was investigated by Mkhwebane.
“Would it be fair for this committee to invite the president, just to make sure that everything is above board, because we are not going to succeed if we are going to ask the Public Protector and grill her alone, based on the judgement, which may have been a mistake,” Holomisa said in parliament.