EFF condemns the Financial Mail's outrightly racist and sexist attack on Public Protector and the person of Adv. Mkhwebane
3 August 2019
The EFF condemns the Financial Mail cover story and headline, which charaterises the Public Protector as, an "enemy of the state". This characterization is cemented, by portraying Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebani's face in dark shades of blue (turquoise), ocher coloured lips, and against a background of multiple purple snakes, to basically exaggerate this image of her as, an "enemy” of the state.
There is nothing wrong with anyone to disagree with the Public Protector, or to believe that she is incompetent, or incapable of executing the duties of her office, based on reading her reports, or on court dismissals of her reports. However, it is an inexplicable leap, to characterize her as an "enemy of the state". Such a title, on the eve of women's month in South Africa, contributes to the general hatred society has against black women.
Enemies of the state are people engaged in high crimes such as treason. The fact that Mkhwebane is investigating the untouchables, and favourite agents of white monopoly capital, and the way in which she executes this duty, does not warrant a pro-white capitalist, white-male edited publication, calling her an enemy of the state, painting her face in turquoise colours, with ocher coloured lips, against a background of multiple purple snakes. In essence, this white-male edited publication seeks to collapse her image with that of a shady, evil looking woman, with reddish lips, on a canvas of multiple purple snakes.
The reddish-black (ocher) looking lips seek to evoke a fire spitting being, like a dragon, but also just like a red ocher is associated with a volcano. Placing her turquoise coloured face with ocher coloured lips, against a canvas of purple looking snakes, evokes images of her thoughts or motivations as driven by an evil serpent. The image of a serpent representing evil is dominant in many religions, not least the dominant Judeo-Christian tradition. The entire fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, was due to a snake who worked with a woman to result in the fall of a man from God's favour.