Call to protect Mkhwebane

Son of former president Jacob Zuma writes letter to Ace Magashule urging the ANC to back the public protector

FORMER president Jacob Zuma’s son Edward has accused some senior ANC leaders of being driven by factionalism in opposing Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s investigations into President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Zuma junior, whose other name is Muziwoxolo, recently penned an open letter to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule in which he implored the ruling party to protect Mkhwebane.

This comes after Mkhwebane approached National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and Ramaphosa, asking to be shielded as she claimed her office was under attack by MPs and by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

“Comrade SG, our failure as a movement to vehemently oppose those forces (particularly from within) waging a war against the PP, is seriously pitting the ANC against the populace and our principle objective that the people shall govern,” Edward wrote.

He, alongside former Scopa chairperson Themba Godi, the EFF and a group, Democracy in Action, have pledged their unwavering support for Mkhwebane.

Godi, the leader of the African People’s Convention party, has since encouraged members of the public to contribute funds to help Mkhwebane pay for her legal costs.

This was after the Constitutional Court and the North Gauteng High Court ruled that Mkhwebane had not undertaken an honourable investigation into the Absa-Bankorp bailout saga and ordered her to pay legal costs from her own pocket.

The Gauteng High Court this week also granted Ramaphosa an interim order preventing Mkhwebane from implementing remedial action on her findings that the president allegedly misled Parliament when he indicated he did not know the individuals who donated to his ANC presidential campaign in 2017.

“The current controversial judgments against the PP, are at our instance (sic)… we have become the enemy of the people in this regard,” wrote Zuma.

“I wish to remind you and your colleagues in the NEC that the PP only investigates complaints that are referred to her by members of the public and they are not self-generated, as (is) currently portrayed in the public discourse.”

Zuma said those who were opposed to Mkhwebane probing Ramaphosa were driving the ANC’s internal factional battle.

“I hope you (Magashule) will agree with me that the ‘Unity Project’ as espoused by the Nasrec determination, is not working and requires an urgent self-examination and self-criticism (Hoping the upcoming NGC will give us time and space to do same),” he wrote.

Godi said he had contributed money towards a four-week-old campaign by Democracy in Action to raise funds for Mkhwebane. Godi would not reveal how much he had donated.

It was reported at the weekend that the group had so far raised R107 000.

“I have made my own contribution and I have urged other Africans to do so,” Godi said. He said since he was unemployed he could not contribute much. “What is quite impressive is that I understand that the highest amount donated so far is R4 000 and it was only from one individual.

“The rest are smaller amounts – R8, R10, R20 – and this is showing you that it is ordinary people (who are donating), and not people with deep pockets.”

Magashule and the ANC have not officially responded to Zuma’s letter.