Loan to Zille’s son ‘unethical’

Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has found that Western Cape premier Helen Zille violated the Executive Ethics Code by assisting her maths teacher son to borrow tablets from the province’s education department, so that he could offer extra maths lessons to disadvantaged matric pupils.

Zille’s son, Paul Maree, was not paid for the extra maths lessons, which he offered in Khayalitsha and surrounding areas in 2014.

“The premier’s involvement in the process that has resulted in securing access to the tablets in question by her son, and in the acquiring of son’s company’s services and resources, has exposed her to the risk of a conflict between her official responsibilities, as a first citizen of the province, and private interests, which involved her son,” Mkhwebane said.

“This conduct of the premier has consequently resulted in the violation of her constitutional obligation to avoid an exposure to the aforesaid risk.”

She said the rule of law had to be applied to every citizen, and Zille’s conduct had given her son an “unfair advantage”.

Zille had denied that any such conflict of interest existed, as education officials were fully aware that Maree was her son and she had written an e-mail stating that the tablets should be made available to any NGOs or individuals seeking to offer extra maths training.

Mkhwebane has ordered that the speaker of the Western Cape legislature “take appropriate action to hold the premier accountable”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa must submit his comment on the report within 14 days after receiving it.

The investigation originated from a complaint made by Cameron Dugmore, the ANC’s candidate for the position of Western Cape premier.

● Zille said that Mkhwebane had erred and she would be taking her finding on review. – BusinessLIVE