(Bloomberg) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will seek an urgent judicial review of findings by the nation’s anti-graft ombudsman that he violated the constitution and executive ethics code when he misled lawmakers about a campaign donation.

The lawsuit will be the latest salvo in an ongoing battle between Ramaphosa and Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who was appointed during his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s rule and has been accused by critics of playing politics and siding with the president’s opponents in a power struggle in the ruling party. She denies the allegations and says they may be aimed at undermining her investigations.

Mkhwebane rejected the president’s assertion that he didn’t know about a 500,000-rand ($36,000) payment services company Bosasa made to his campaign to win control of the ruling party, inadvertently failed to disclose it and rectified his mistake as soon as possible. Allegations that he exposed himself to the risk of a conflict of interest or used his position to enrich himself and his son, who had business dealing with Bosasa, were substantiated, she said in a July 29 report.

The Public Protector’s report is fundamentally and legally flawed, and it is appropriate that the findings be tested in court, Ramaphosa told reporters in Pretoria, the capital, on Sunday.

The president also said he will ask the court to suspend Mkhwebane’s directive that parliament take action against him and that he disclose details of all the donations he received within 30 days.

The courts have overturned several of Mkhwebane’s previous rulings and rebuked her for failing to stick to her constitutional mandate.

Read more

  • Once-Lauded South African Anti-Graft Body Falls From Grace
  • Ramaphosa Broke Ethics Code, South African Graft Ombudsman Says

To contact the reporters on this story: Amogelang Mbatha in Johannesburg at ambatha@bloomberg.net;Mike Cohen in Cape Town at mcohen21@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, ;Benjamin Harvey at bharvey11@bloomberg.net, Renee Bonorchis

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