Port Elizabeth - The Democratic Alliance's (DA's) shadow minister of Public Enterprises, Natasha Mazzone, said on Friday that President Cyril Ramaphosa is bound by the Public Protector's (PP's) report on Minister Pravin Gordhan and would have to take remedial action or take it on review.
Mazzone said the findings of the PP, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, that Gordhan violated the Constitution when he allowed for the operation of the so-called South African Revenue Services (SARS) rogue unit during his tenure at the helm of the tax agency and that he lied about meeting the Guptas cannot be ignored.
She said that despite her party's views on the suitability of Mkhwebane to hold office, the DA was obliged to preserve the integrity of the PP's office as a Chapter 9 institution.
"The PP recommended remedial action for President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement. Should the President or Minister Gordhan believe the report is flawed, either procedurally or materially, he has the full right to take it on review.
"However if he elects not to, he is bound by it and has to implement its recommendations as far as it concerns him," Mazzone said in the statement.
Mazzone said the DA's commitment to upholding the law superseded personal and political disagreements and regardless, "the PP has now made a finding and the law must take its course".