Why Busisiwe Mkhwebane is fuming with Tito Mboweni’s “speeding” comments

One of the biggest fall-outs from Wednesday’s budget speech may have actually happened before a word was said in Parliament. Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is under fire from Busisiwe Mkhwebane after he openly said the public protector “has a problem”, and his government colleague has hit back immediately.

What’s the beef between Tito Mboweni and Busisiwe Mkhwebane?

Loose lips sink friendships, Tito. As SABC were on hand to record, the pre-budget media briefing took on a rather interesting dimension when the matter of Dondo Mogajane surfaced. The Treasury’s director-general was targeted by Mkhwebane last year, who says the fiscal department must take remedial action against him.

The public protector concluded that Mogajane did not disclose his criminal record to the government when applying for the job. The blot in his copybook is a court-sanctioned conviction for speeding – something that Mboweni was quick to dismiss:

“I think the public protector has a problem. I’m saying this as strongly as I can, knowing fully well that the office of the public protector is a constitutional structure. But the incumbent has a problem.

“I hope one day I can have a conversation with the incumbent without interfering, but just to advise. She has made a finding that Speedy Dondo [Mogajane] must be disciplined – he has a speeding fine. If I could take an opinion poll here, most of you have speeding fines…”

Tito Mboweni

Public protector weighs-in to the “traffic fine” debate

Let’s just all appreciate the nickname “Speedy Dondo” for a second, shall we? The finance minister simply does not agree that his so-called crime is fit for any kind of punishment. However, this has put Mkhwebane’s nose firmly out of joint, and she hasn’t taken too kindly to being publicly undermined.

In an official statement released by her office, the public protector lambasted the “interference” from Mboweni, and said it was “strange” that he was sharing conflicting views to those of President Cyril Ramaphosa:

“We’d like to stress that Mogajane did not merely receive a ‘traffic fine’ as suggested by Mr Mboweni, but a conviction from a court of law. The president has already pronounced that he is taking action on this matter. It is therefore strange that the minister is contradicting the president.”

Busisiwe Mkhwebane statement

Mboweni vs Mkhwebane – the gloves are off

Mkhwebane also added a little spice into the response, suggesting that anyone who has a problem with the vetting of officials taking government jobs must “push for a change” in the law. But this isn’t where the war of words comes to an end.

The statement concludes that Mkhwebane will be writing to both the Speaker Baleka Mbete and President Cyril Ramaphosa to report ministers who interfere with the functioning of her office. Tito Mboweni could well be the first name on that list, as unity in the “new dawn” becomes more elusive.

• You can read the public protector’s full statement here:

PP @AdvBMkhwebane taken aback by Minister Tito Moboweni’s alleged remarks pic.twitter.com/jySBlYSK78

— Public Protector SA (@PublicProtector) February 20, 2019