ANCYL’s knives out for Thuli
Follow-up on damaged car
WHILE former public protector Thuli Madonsela has offered to pay for the state car damaged while being driven by her son, the ANC Youth League wants an investigation into whether she exercised care in safe-guarding the state vehicle.
The league also wants Madonsela’s successor, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, to investigate the former public protector’s conduct in office.
This takes place as the ANC Women’s League demands that Mkhwebane institute an investigation whether a case of theft was opened when Madonsela’s son drove the state vehicle that crashed in 2012.
Youth League Regional secretary Thinta Cibane said yesterday they noted Madonsela’s apology on her son “stealing” and crashing the state car as well as her offer to pay.
“The Youth League understands that advocate Madonsela has offered to pay a certain amount for the repairs incurred following her son’s unauthorised use of a state vehicle. “This apology, although noted, does not absolve Madonsela of responsibility in relation to the duty of care she had over a vehicle assigned to her by the state.
“We call for an investi- gation into her role in the debacle. Did she exercise the required duty of care in safeguarding a vehicle of the state?” Cibane said.
On Friday, Madonsela wrote to her successor‚ Mkhwebane‚ offering to pay R470 000 for the state-owned car damaged while being driven by her son without her permission and also for the VIP protection service while being “off-duty” in November.
Madonsela said she had decided to authorise Mkhwebane to keep the amount unilaterally deducted from her gratuity for the use of the car and damage caused to it, in the interest of closure and peace.
Earlier, Mkhwebane said the money had been deducted from Madonsela’s gratuity for use of an official vehicle after her term ended and for the damage caused during the car crash in 2012.
The offer came after Madonsela last week complained about the deduction from her gratuity. She also launched an attack on President Jacob Zuma, a move that prompted the ANCWL to say she should stay away from matters in the office of the public protector.
Cibane said questions remained on what Madonsela had done which should not have happened during her tenure and a further investigation into her overall conduct should be instituted.
“The Youth League will be writing to the Office of the Public Protector to request for this investigation,” he said.
ANC Women’s League secretary-general Meokgo Matuba said Mkhwebane should investigate whether a case of theft was opened with police when Madonsela’s son drove a state vehicle without authorisation.
“If no case was reported, the Public Protector must consider laying a charge of defeating the ends of justice against advocate Madonsela.
“If the son had permission to drive a state vehicle, the Public Protector must consider a case of abuse of state resources by advocate Madonsela,” Matuba said.
A probe should also be carried out to ascertain if Madonsela’s son had driven the state vehicle for the first time or he was used to doing so, she said.