Faithful, courageous patriot to end
THE term of one of the most prominent Public Protectors to ever grace that office, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, has come to a blistering end.
Among the cases she had to deal with towards the end of her tenure, was that of alleged “state capture” stemming from claims about the influence exercised on government by the Gupta family.
Just before Madonsela could release her report, President Jacob Zuma applied for an urgent interdict to stop her.
This action was diametrically opposite to what the constitution requires of the president, which is to assist and protect the Office of the Public Protector.
Local Government and Traditional Affairs Minister Minister Des van Rooyen also approached the courts, seeking to interdict the public protector from releasing the report.
This served only to heighten suspicions that both he and Zuma have had compromised relationships with the Gupta family.
It has since been reported that Madonsela was in possession of telephone recordings that allegedly reveal that the night before Finance Minister Nhlanla Nene was sacked last December, Van Rooyen, the man who was selected to succeed him, was drinking tea with the Guptas at their home in Johannesburg.
Further exposure about the extent of this friendship is something that it would seem the two ANC leaders would prefer the new public protector to handle.
Zuma said he had gone to court because he had not been given sufficient time to respond to the Public Protector. But in a letter addressed to Zuma, Madonsela wrote, “It is of concern to me that you have, on two occasions, undertaken to provide a response to questions put to you in writing; when the time arose, you changed your mind and refused to provide responses.”
How familiar these delaying tactics seem. How much they remind us of the president’s response to Madonsela when she was busy with the Nkandla investigation.
For that Zuma was lambasted by the Constitutional Court. He had, the court said, failed to uphold the precepts of the constitution.
On October 11, the National Prosecuting Authority issued a summons for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his former colleagues at SARS to appear in court on November 2 on fraud charges.
This has all the features of a politically motivated witch-hunt.
More and more top ANC leaders are expressing their unhappiness and some have come out in clear support of Gordhan.
“We want law and order – not institutions used to fight nefarious political battles,” the Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi was quoted saying in a weekend newspaper.
“I have no doubt about his [Gordhan’s] commitment to build a better South Africa for all,” said Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, throwing his weight behind Gordhan.
It looks pretty much like the battle lines are drawn between those who stand behind Gordhan and those who want him gone.
On the one side are those who stand against “state capture” and for the progress and sovereignty of South Africa. On the other side, it would increasingly seem, are those who are complicit in the alleged state capture and intent only on self benefit.
On Friday, damning information emerged that shed light on why South African banks had become suspicious about the Gupta’s accounts and had cut ties with the family earlier this year.
An explosive affidavit lodged by Gordhan with the Pretoria High Court included a certificate from the Financial Intelligence Centre. It gave details of Gupta financial transactions worth R6.8-billion that are under investigation for contravening money laundering, exchange control and corruption regulations.
But certain cabinet ministers, the ANC Women’s League, Umkhonto weSizwe Veterans among others, have in the meanwhile been relentless in their efforts to pressure Gordhan into mediating with the banks on behalf of the Gupta family.
If the banks had to take such tough action, a thorough probe by the Public Protector was obviously necessary. Now the public has a right to know what the Public Protector found.
Madonsela has not been able to see her “state capture” report through to finality. It falls to the new public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to release the findings.
We trust that she will fill the very large shoes of a courageous individual who has fulfilled her mandate with courage and excellence, and in doing so has strengthened and elevated the office of the public protector to the proper position it should hold.