President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa did not have details about how many ANC councillors have been arrested for corruption amid the Covid-19 lockdown.
- Ramaphosa was answering questions in Parliament on Thursday.
- The president also challenged any Chapter 9 institution to approach the ConCourt if they perceive there to be any interference from the executive.
President Cyril Ramaphosa took a “rain check” when asked how many ANC councillors have been arrested for Covid-19-related corruption and challenged any Chapter 9 institution to approach the Constitutional Court if they feel the executive interferes in their functioning.
Ramaphosa was responding to questions during a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday afternoon when DA interim leader John Steenhuisen asked him how many ANC councillors have been arrested for corruption with the distribution of food parcels.
“I will have to take a rain check on that one,” Ramaphosa responded, adding the information was being collated.
READ MORE| Covid-19: No information was withheld from public, Ramaphosa tells Parliament
EFF MP Omphile Maotwe then accused him of “political interference” in the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
“Can you guarantee to back off and let the Public Protector do her job?” Maotwe asked.
Interfere
“I would like to put it on record that the executive will not seek to interfere with the work in any way, shape or form of any of our Chapter 9 institutions,” Ramaphosa answered.
“Our democracy dictates they should not be hampered.”
He said the executive did not want to interfere in the work of any Chapter 9 institution, and even if it wanted, it could not because it would be unconstitutional.
He said they have every right to take the executive to the “highest court in the land” if they felt it was hampering their work.
