No police protection for MP

DESPITE receiving death threats, an MP fails to be protected by the South African Police Service (SAPS), a statement from the Right2Know campaign alleges.

This is in contrast to the treatment Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is receiving as a private citizen, which includes a security detail from the Presidential Protection Unit of SAPS, something many have called into question.

ANC MP Makhosi Khoza received death threats from a hospital executive after noticing “glaring deficiencies” during an oversight visit to assess levels of service delivery, the campaign said.

“(Dlamini Zuma) is not even a member of Parliament, she is a private citizen,” said Busi Mtabana, a spokesperson for the campaign. “How can they give her protection versus someone who is exposing corruption?”

A complaint has been filed in Parliament, but no action has been taken, according to the campaign.

Nearly three weeks later, “there have been no arrests, no investigation and no charges have been filed against the Mpumalanga hospital official for his bully tactics”.

Mtabana condemned the province’s “style of politics,” in which she said journalists received death threats when they reported on corruption.

Many also believe a whistleblower was murdered in 2009 after exposing corruption in the construction of Mbombela Stadium for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Khoza told the Cape Times’ sister newspaper, The Star, that she had opened two cases with the SAPS in two different provinces.

The SAPS would not comment on the protection of individuals or the status of the cases opened by Khoza.

“We are neither at liberty nor can we disclose information on matters of protection of individuals,” Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement. “This may have implications for personal security irrespective of whether he or she is being protected.”

Even though it was important to get to the bottom of the threats made against Khoza, Mtabana said people should not lose sight of what caused the threats: the conditions at the hospital.

It was important that fear was not a factor preventing MPs from doing their jobs in ensuring that people were receiving the services they needed, she said.

“We’ve called on (SAPS) to do something about it.

“They must make sure that action is taken against this guy,” she said.

“There should be a thorough investigation and action should be taken against those who are running the hospital.”