Pretoria - Former public protector Thuli Madonsela says she has not turned down the position of deputy president.
Speaking on the sidelines of president Cyril Ramaphosa's inauguration at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, Madonsela told Independent Media that in principle Deputy President David Mabuza should be number two on the ANC's parliamentary list.
"I have not turned down the offer for the the position of deputy president. It is not legally possible for me to be the deputy president. The deputy president should be someone who was on the list for Parliament and I was not on that list," Madonsela said.
Madonsela's name has been making rounds on social media after Mabuza postponed his swaering in as a Member of Parliament earlier this week, saying that he first wants to clear his name at the ANC's integrity committee. The integrity commision has red-flaged twenty ANC members, and indicated that they must first clear their names before taking up nominations for Parliament.
Madonsela further said the person who would be the deputy president should be a part of the ruling party structures.
Asked if Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan should be in the next cabinet after the current public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's finding that Gordhan was guilty of acting improperly when he approved the early retirement of former Sars commissioner Ivan Pillay and authorized his full pension benefits, Madonsela said: "There is a difference between corruption and maladministration. The matter on Godhan is maladministration.I would be surprised if Gordhan is not in the new cabinet"