DA: No doubt Public Protector Mkhwebane is ‘politically compromised’

After a report issued by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Wednesday 30 September effectively exonerated former Free State Premier and current African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Ace Magashule of charges that he misled parliament, the Democratic Alliance (DA) have said that there is no longer any doubt that the Public Protector is “politically compromised”. 

Accusations had been levelled against Magashule relating to reported irregularities connecting his office to the 2012 state funeral of the late Free State MEC for health Fundiswa Ngubentombi, and his reply to a parliamentary probe was charged to have been misleading, but Mkhwebane said that there would be no remedial action taken. 

Public Protector exonerates Magashule  

Mkwebane said that Magashule’s response to parliament was adequate, and that she could not find any evidence that he had lied about his office’s involvement in funeral arrangements for Ngubentombi, despite a letter from his office showing that municipal officials had been told funeral costs would be refunded by the provincial government.

“My investigation revealed that the former premier did not mislead the legislature in his reply concerning the involvement of his office in the funeral arrangements as well as the commitment by his office to ensure that the provincial government refunds the municipality,” Mkhwebane said.

“In light of the above, I’m neither making any finding nor remedial action, which the report only consists of the observation which we made that there is no policy and that policy would have to be developed,” she said.

Mazzone: ‘PP is not fit for office’ 

DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone said that Mkhwebane has “again proven that she is not fit for office and that she is in fact politically compromised”.

“Previously, she published a whitewashed report into the Vrede Dairy Project which failed to make any findings against Magashule and Mosebenzi Zwane,” she said.

“While the Public Protector swears high and low that she is not politically compromised her continuously turning a blind eye to the transgressions and wrongdoing of Ace Magashule is telling.”

Mkhwebane ‘discrediting legitimitate processes’

Mazzone said that Mkhwebane should prove her impartiality by freely subjecting herself to processes that seek to hold her to account, but that she instead chooses to “discredit these legitimate processes”.

Recently, Mkhwebane launched an urgent application with the Western Cape Division of the High Court in order to interdict Parliament’s inquiry into her fitness to hold office. She is also engaged in a host of other court battles that have marred her reputation and command of the nation’s faith in her capacity to hold office.

“She is attempting to frustrate a legitimate and legally sound parliamentary process to hold her to account in order to seemingly continue to do the bidding of Ace Magashule and his fellow rogues,” said Mazzone.