DA leader Mmusi Maimane lodged the complaint Friday morning‚ asking Madonsela to probe whether President Jacob Zuma violated the Executive Members' Ethics Act. A Catholic organisation had earlier on Friday made a similar request to Madonsela's office.
Her spokesman Oupa Segalwe said Friday evening that Madonsela would do a preliminary assessment into the request by the Dominican Order of Southern Africa to determine whether she had the jurisdiction and justification to launch a full investigation - a process that could take five days.
However‚ she would have "no choice" but to investigate the DA's complaint.
"Their request was made under the Executive Members' Ethics Act. The issue of an assessment to decide whether to investigate does not arrive under this act. The act says the Public Protector must investigate and report back to the president‚" he said.
Segalwe said only members of parliament and provincial legislatures could invoke this act to request an investigation from Madonsela's office.
A DA statement issued on Friday morning asked Madonsela to probe whether Zuma breached the act by:
- exposing himself to any situation involving the risk of a conflict between his official responsibilities and his private interests - using his position‚ or any information entrusted to him‚ to enrich himself or improperly benefit any other person‚ and - acting in a way that may compromise the credibility or integrity of his office or of the government.
- TMG Digital/Sunday Times
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