Truth, security and a minister

Dboss. is a crime. ID DAVID Mahlobo lie to Parliament this week? That’s the question brand new Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwe- bane has to figure out. To make matters worse, the Minister for State Security is her former Mahlobo has had a torrid week, after being apparently exposed as having an inappropriate relationship with a self-confessed rhino poacher and visiting a massage parlour, and then telling a panel organised by the Institute of Security Stud- ies that #FeesMustFall leader Mcebo Dlamini had visited him several times at his home. This was apparently intended to convince people Dlamini’s arrest could not have been politically or- chestrated. Less than 48 hours later the minister was in Parliament denying everything. If Mahlobo is found to have told a whopper, he will be in breach of the executive code of ethics and guilty of the offence of lying to Parliament, which It is extraordinary stuff: allegedly consorting with known crooks and deceiving fellow MPs. If the government is serious about negotiating in good faith with the students, clearly it cannot afford to have Mahlobo in its ranks. Equally, if it is in any way serious about rhino poaching, it cannot afford him either. But most importantly of all, this tawdry epi- sode speaks volumes about the calibre of those at the helm of our national security – and it is far from the first time that scandal has tainted those at the upper echelons of South Africa’s security establishment. The government needs to reassure us that it is serious about securing our nation by ensuring that this minister rapidly exits office.