ATM to legally challenge SAPS overturning PP's misconduct findings against Ramaphosa's security head Rhoode

CAPE TOWN - The African Transformation Movement (ATM) says it will legally challenge a decision by a police disciplinary committee to overturn the misconduct findings of the public protector against the head of the presidential protection service, Major-General Wally Rhoode.

The ATM’s parliamentary leader, Vuyo Zungula, who lodged the complaint over the way in which Rhoode is said to have conducted a rogue investigation into the president’s missing Phala Phala millions, said the public protector’s recommendations can’t be ignored for political expediency.

This follows a response from Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to a parliamentary question from Zungula that Rhoode had been found not guilty of breaching the SAPS disciplinary code.

While the ATM awaits its day in court to challenge the public protector’s 2023 report on the Phala Phala matter that cleared the president of any wrongdoing, MP Vuyo Zungula said it would now also question the SAPS overturning the findings made in that report against the president’ main bodyguard, Rhoode.

Rhoode was found to have initiated his own investigation into the theft of the US dollars, which included a trip to Namibia to interrogate suspects, after the president reported the matter to him.

Zungula said his party would continue to push for the release of the classified police report that has cleared Rhoode.

"It can’t be that the public protector has got a certain finding, however, the Independent Investigative Police Directorate becomes creative and says a disciplinary hearing was conducted, however, no discipline is effected."

Zungula said if Rhoode remains in his job without any changes to his responsibilities or his salary, this shows that no disciplinary action has, in fact, taken place, as recommended by the public protector.

The Constitutional Court has previously ruled that the public protector’s remedial action is binding.

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