Hands off the Public Protector!

The Congress of the People Youth Movement condemns the recent attacks on the Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela by certain members of the ANC who are trying to drive her out of the Public Protector's office. This follows her findings in the tender fraud case involving the Limpopo Government and the On Point Company which has been found to have bankrolled money to the expelled ANCYL president Julius Malema's trust fund.

Since her findings in the series of rulings that have embarrassed the ruling ANC and government and subsequent propelled the expulsion of police commissioner Bheki Cele and public works minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and others from the ANC, Adv.

Thuli Madonsela has been a target of unwarranted criticism and attacks from the ANC members. And one of those constant attackers has been the Minister of Higher Education Emmanuel "Blade" Nzimande. The Minister was among those who attacked the Public Protector accusing her of being selective in her investigations into the DA-run areas including the Midvaal Municipality. To this day Blade has failed to be sharp as when raising the accusations and has failed to substantiate his claims and present his proof of selectivity in the Public Protector's office.

In another attack in August 2012, the ANC Chief Whip in Parliament laid it to the Public Protector by saying that she had no right to attend the Women's Day event in Port Elizabeth which was organised by DAWN, DA's women's network. While the ANC Chief Whip knew that the Public Protector's office is supposed to be independent and impartial, the Chief Whip then suffered from the ‘Selective reading syndrome' and forgot to add that the Public Protector can and "must be accessible to all persons and communities" as prescribed in Section 182 (4) of Chapter 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

These attacks have not only been from the known sources like Blade and the ANC Chief Whip but also from unknown people who have tried to destabilize the Public Protector's office. From people complaining about her salary to those who want her expelled from her office. While the Public Protector has reported and requested parliament to investigate the claims that senior members in the ANC have promised an individual a job within the ANC in return for the Public Protector's expulsion, individuals inside and outside of the Public Protector's are still working hard to get rid of her. Recently we have heard that Adv. Mamiki Shai, the Deputy Public Protector is also one of the instigators who are orchestrating the removal of Thuli Madonsela and has written a damning dossier to parliament accusing the Public Protector with gross misconduct that could lead to the expulsion of the Public Protector.

Were the investigation and the subsequent findings into On Point, Limpopo government tenders and Malema, be the reason for the upsurge in the wanting to get rid of Adv. Madonsela? Is Adv Mamiki Shai one of the conspirators who anonymously wrote letters to destabilize the Public Protector's office so that the Public Protector could slow down on crucial investigations? The Public Protector's office has been under humongous pressure to deliver without enough resources and help from the government. She has a numerous times asked for assistance from government and all she got was an advice from the ANC who have blatantly refused to give her more money to investigate irregularities. In Gauteng, one investigator had some 400 cases and more than 27 000 complaints had been probed in the past book year on a budget of R140 million.

The Congress of the People Youth Movement calls on the ANC and says ‘Hands off our Public Protector' and afford her the opportunity to serve and protect the interest of South Africans with out any hindrance and independent of you or anyone while enjoying the support from the government. We also call on the Parliament to increase her budget in order to continue without hesitation to investigate all cases submitted to her office with enough resources at hand.

The Congress of the People Youth Movement wants reliable, accountable and incorruptible governance for all South Africans.

Statement issued by Bongani Mahlangu, The Congress of the People Youth Movement, October 15 2012

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