DA, EFF slam protector
Pressure is mounting for action to be taken on embattled Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane after her embarrassing climb-down this week on her order to parliament that the Reserve Banks’ mandate be changed.
And now, her office is claiming that the controversial order was an error in drafting the report, because she did not intend to “be instructive”.
The Economic Freedom Fighters this week called on Mkhwebane to resign, while the Democratic Alliance said she had some explaining to do.
The order, which Mkhwebane now calls a mere recommendation, would have seen the Reserve Bank’s main objective shift from protecting the rand to the more philosophical role to “promote balanced and sustainable economic growth in the republic, while ensuring that the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizens are protected”.
This was part of her remedial action in her report into an apartheid-era bailout to the tune of R2.25 billion to Absa bank. Mkhwebane agreed on Monday in court papers that her remedial action of seeking amendments to the constitution could be reviewed and set aside.
She was willing to pay the legal costs for the Reserve Bank but not for those of Absa.
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said he did not buy Mkhwebane’s explanation yesterday that she merely made a grammatical error and did not mean to be instructive in her tone.
Her spokesperson Cleopatra Mosana told The Citizen that the apparent bid to instruct parliament constituted a typo.
“She did not mean to be instructive,” said Mosana, who added that Mkhwebane still stood by the sentiment of what was previously deemed an instruction.
“She is not flip-flopping. What she was thinking, was … the mandate of the Reserve Bank should be broadened and that would mean it must also consider including the man on the street.”
Mathekga was not satisfied that this constituted an explanation.
“How can she claim to have been misunderstood when she didn’t clarify it immediately when she heard she was being challenged? She had all the time to claim that even before the bank responded. She needs to tell us: when didn’t she realise that she was misunderstood?”
He added: “There is still a lot that is being unanswered. For me, kicking her out of office won’t give us answers and we need to understand what is happening. If she is being used she must come clean.”
Political parties have expressed opposing reactions to Mkhwebane’s apparent about-turn. The Pan Africanist Congress said in a statement it was of the view that the public insults and calls for resignation aimed at Mkhwebane were immature and unfair.