BARNEY MTHOMBOTHI: Public protector revving up the EFF thugs is the last straw — she must go

Busisiwe Mkhwebane must have chuckled with delight as she witnessed the fruits of her labour playing out on the floor of parliament this week.

If we weren’t yet aware or didn’t know that the desecration of the people’s house is in fact the ultimate goal of the public protector, we have now been fully apprised of the fact in the most dramatic and unforgettable way possible.

Of course, Mkhwebane didn’t command the EFF to defile the house. She has nothing to do with its political campaign or agenda. But her obsessive pursuit of public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan on relatively minor matters that have already been investigated many times over and found to be baseless has stoked the fires of resentment and racism against the minister.

Her so-called report was the salvo that the malcontents needed to launch their thuggish attacks not only against Gordhan but on the sanctity of parliament.

It was the most unedifying of spectacles. Calling these thugs honourable members is a complete despoliation of the language. As someone once said, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Sometimes one feels it’s not worth wasting any of our already frayed emotions on Mkhwebane. It’s tiring. Getting angry at her shenanigans is a waste of time. It is not worth the candle. She’s a pathetic figure to be pitied. She’s holding on to Gordhan for dear life, like a drowning person clinging to a log in a raging torrent.

It’s almost as though her legitimacy or raison d’être depends on finding something, anything, on Gordhan. Does she know what she’s doing? Does she even care?

There’s an element of desperation about her pursuit. Her explanations for these dogged investigations have been unconvincing. Her understanding of the law and the constitution has been called into question so many times that any self-respecting incumbent would have been looking for a way out by now.

She can't open her mouth without embarrassing herself. This week she rocked up in parliament and instead of addressing MPs about the operations of her office, she spent the time lashing out at perceived enemies

—  Barney Mthombothi

She can’t open her mouth without embarrassing herself. This week she rocked up in parliament and instead of addressing MPs about the operations of her office, she spent the time lashing out at perceived enemies.

She needed to make a good impression. Her fate is in their hands.

But it’s hard to escape the conclusion that not only does she have an unhealthy obsession with Gordhan but that, in such a project, she is in cahoots with the EFF. They seem determined to give President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government a bloody nose — or, as Gordhan put it in parliament, they are part of the fight-back campaign against those who want to unravel the state-capture project.

The EFF — masters of bluff, bluster and conspiracies — are not only exhibiting fascist tendencies, they’re a bunch of hypocrites who expect uncritical backing of their every whim.

They came out in full support of Gordhan after he was fired by then president Jacob Zuma; now they hate Gordhan with a passion. They campaigned vigorously against Tom Moyane when he was head of the SA Revenue Service; now they’ve taken him under their wing.

Julius Malema once said his party had made a terrible mistake by supporting Mkhwebane’s bid to be public protector. “We just took a puppet from Gupta’s kitchen and said ‘let’s give her a chance’,” he said, adding that the EFF was already looking at ways to have her removed. Now she’s their princess, the best thing since sliced bread. I guess they now regard her as part of what they call their ground forces. She arrived in parliament this week dressed in sparkling red.

Now the red berets are even warming to Zuma, their erstwhile bête noire and the man they made their careers on by destroying his.

The EFF can change their positions on crucial issues as many times as they wish. It’s their right to do so, even to make fools of themselves. But they have no right to threaten physical harm to an MP or member of the executive, no matter how much they detest him or what he stands for, especially within the hallowed precincts of parliament.

It is therefore gratifying to see all parties coming out to strongly and unambiguously condemn such hooliganism. There’s no place for it in our public life. Parliament should be regarded as a sacred place and those who deliberate on matters of state should conduct themselves in an exemplary fashion. Condemnation of such thuggery is not enough. Swift and appropriate action should follow. These are repeat offenders, and failure to act against them will only encourage them to do it again.

Ramaphosa should stand by Gordhan come what may. He needs all capable hands in the cabinet to rebuild the country. There are some who are beginning to say maybe Gordhan is becoming a distraction and a liability. Removing him because of these violent yobbos would be the thin end of the wedge. It would not only embolden his foes inside and outside his party, but confirm the gathering perception that Ramaphosa has the backbone of an amoeba.

But Mkhwebane should go, and the sooner the better. If the state-capture project is to be stopped, parliament has to start proceedings to remove her as soon as possible. She’s become an existential threat to the country’s wellbeing. She’s like a child playing with a hand grenade.

This week’s events must have convinced even those ANC MPs who harbour some sympathy for her that she’s overstayed her welcome. The game is up.

This article was first published by the Sunday Times