Shock at new public protector’s ‘chicken’ stance
OPPOSITION parties have been left shocked by new Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s decision yesterday not to oppose the application by President Jacob Zuma and Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen to block the release of the state capture report.
The opposition promised to meet Mkhwebane in court on November 1, when the application will be heard.
They said this was no longer a matter for her, but that of opposition parties against Zuma and Van Rooyen, because Zuma and Van Rooyen wanted to interdict the release of the report.
Mkhwebane told Parliament this week she was going to file her responding papers in the Pretoria High Court yesterday. She did not indicate to MPs whether she would oppose the interdict by Zuma and Van Rooyen.
Yesterday Van Rooyen withdrew his application in the Pretoria High Court, arguing that the public protector had not made serious findings against him.
This flew in the face of his urgent application last week, when he sought to block the release of the state capture report, along with Zuma.
DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said they were disappointed with Mkhwebane.
“We are surprised and somewhat disappointed at her reaction, which does not bode well for a Chapter 9 institution,” said Selfe.
He said their application on November 1 would go ahead, and that the court would have to rule whether it would allow them as an intervening party.
The DA, Cope, UDM and EFF are intervening parties in the matter. Selfe said the case in November will no longer be between the public protector against Zuma and Van Rooyen, but opposition parties against the president and his minister.
Cope spokesman Dennis Bloem said they were shocked and disappointed by Mkhwebane’s decision, and added that his party wanted the report to be made public urgently.
He said they were starting to question some of Mkhwebane’s decisions since she had taken over from Thuli Madonsela: “It seems to us that she is busy trying to do things in a way to discredit Thuli Madonsela,” he said.
He warned that Mkhwebane was taking another route.
Acting EFF spokesman Fana Mokoena, whose party has also opposed Zuma and Van Rooyen, described the decision as strange.
He said it was also interesting that Van Rooyen had withdrawn his application in court.
But the EFF will be in court on November 1 to hear the application.
African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart said they have been equally shocked by this latest development, which just blew in their faces.
“It does seem strange, because all the parties say that the report should be made public.
“We would like that report to be released as quickly as possible. Why (would Mkhwebane) not oppose the application to interdict?
“It does seem strange, and a disconcerting decision,” he said.