We won’t rest until public protector Mkhwebane is removed – DA

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:02 pm

Cape Town – The DA has said it would not rest until South Africans were given the Public Protector they deserve, the party’s chief whip Natasha Mazzone said on Friday.

Mazzone made the comments when her party submitted over 7000 pages of supplementary evidence to the National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise in its bid to strengthen its motion for the removal of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

“With over 7000 pages to support our motion, the DA hopes that Parliament will act swiftly by establishing an ad hoc committee for Mkhwebane’s removal proceedings.

“There has been mounting evidence and continuous blunders to support our calls for Mkhwebane’s removal since the submission of our motion,” she said.

Mazzone highlighted what she described as blunders made by Mkhwebane which included a ruling by the Constitutional Court which found that she acted in bad faith and was not honest with the High Court regarding her investigation process in the Reserve Bank matter.

She also said the incumbent had jumped to the defense of former president Jacob Zuma by laying criminal charges against former public protector Thuli Madonsela for releasing the transcript of her interview with him.

In late 2019, the North Gauteng High Court dismissed her appeal to overturn Judge Ronel Tolmay’s scathing judgment lamenting her handling of the Estina Dairy Farm matter and the report thereof.

Mazzone also said Mkhwebane was recently reported to have celebrated her 50th birthday party with individuals involved in state capture.

“Throughout her tenure as Public Protector, Mkhwebane has time and again demonstrated an inability to conduct her work independently, and has illustrated a poor understanding of both the law, as well as of her mandate as Public Protector.

“Worse still, Mkhwebane’s actions have caused immeasurable damage to the reputation of the Office of the Public Protector,” she charged.

Mazzone added that Mkhwebane has successfully tarnished the credibility, authority and independence of the Office of the Public Protector.

“The DA hopes that the disgraceful chapter that was Mkhwebane’s rule at the helm of a once-proud Chapter 9 institution will soon come to an end, and that we can begin the work to build a strong and capable Public Protector’s office that upholds the rule of law and protects South Africans from state abuses.”