GARETH VAN ONSELEN: The public protector is now a public enemy
Busisiwe Mkhwebane is not just out of her depth — she is out of control, having undermined Parliament, the Reserve Bank, the Constitution and her own office
The public protector, advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, needs to resign; if not, to be fired. Her finding, that the justice committee "must" initiate a process to change the Constitution and the Reserve Bank’s mandate, is a symptom of gross incompetence. It is as dangerous as it is destructive. She has violated her very mandate. She cannot continue, in good faith, to ostensibly represent the public interest. The context of her decision is telling. There has been a systematic political drive to bend SA’s financial apparatus to a populist left-wing agenda, one enmeshed with various profound and personal kleptocratic interests. Initially these revolved around the manipulation of tenders, then control of key state-owned entities, then the South African Revenue Service and finally the Department of Finance itself. The only remaining obstacle was the Reserve Bank. It is an obstacle because it is the only thing that stands in the way of a desire to print money, a response to debt and state expe...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.