ANCWL rallies behind Busisiwe

The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) has come out in support of Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who the Democratic Alliance wants removed from her position.

Criticism has mounted against the public protector since Friday’s scathing judgment, in which the High Court in Pretoria set aside her Bankorp/CIEX report and awarded costs to Absa and the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb).

Mkhwebane was also ordered to pay 15% of the costs of the Sarb in her personal capacity.

Coming out in full support of the public protector, the ANCWL said: “The public protector has endured enormous attacks from the arrogant defenders of colonialism and apartheid laws and she has to be defended by all progressive South Africans.”

Last week Absa successfully persuaded the court to set aside Mkhwebane’s report, released in June, in which she ordered the bank to pay R1.125 billion for an apartheid-era bailout provided to its predecessor Bankorp by the Sarb.

The bank successfully applied to the court for the report to be set aside.

But in a statement issued by secretary-general Meokgo Matuba, the ANCWL countered: “If the public protector has a case to answer, she must be taken through lawful processes to answer her case, not through courts of public opinion presided over by the DA”.

The organisation said it has noted the ‘Israel cheer leaders – DA’ is intensifying its campaign against Mkhwebane. – ANA