Justice Minister must make additional funds available for Public Protector’s Gupta investigation

7 June 2016

I have today written to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha, calling on him to make additional funding available to the Office of the Public Protector, in order to carry out the ongoing investigation into the well-connected Gupta family. The Minister of Justice ought to reprioritise his current budget in order to make such funds available.  

This follows today’s announcement by the Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, that she will indeed require additional funding in order to continue this investigation into the wealthy Gupta family and its relationship with President Jacob Zuma.

On 18 March this year, I called on Advocate Madonsela to launch this investigation into the alleged abuse of executive power by President Zuma, specifically relating to the manner in which at least one ANC member was offered a cabinet position in exchange for committing to make Gupta-friendly executive decisions. 

Advocate Madonsela acceded to my request and launched her investigation shortly thereafter. It now transpires that her Office has funding constraints and requires additional funding in order to investigate this matter. 

It is incumbent on Treasury and the Minister of Justice to ensure the Public Protector, a vital Chapter 9 institution, is fully funded and its work is never hindered by monetary restrictions.

Just last month in Parliament, the DA moved to amend this year’s national budget to ensure the Public Protector was fully funded, by allocating an additional R117.89 million to her Office. 

This was voted down by the ANC in Parliament, and in doing so the ANC undermined the functioning of the Office of the Public Protector and ensured state capture continued unimpeded. 

South Africa cannot afford to have the Gupta family using the South African government to further their own business interests. It cannot be that President Zuma’s close ties to one family are overlooked when these ties result in undue influence over government business. 8.9 million jobless South Africans deserve better. 

The Public Protector, in order to promote and protect democracy and accountability, must be fully funded. It is up to Treasury and Minister Masutha to make this happen.

Issued by Mabine Seabe, Spokesperson to the DA Leader, 7 June 2016