There’s no doubt about it. The new Public Protector is no Thuli Madonsela.
In an effort to mend ties with the government, Busisiwe Mkhwebane has wasted little time – after all, she has only been in the office for a week.
Senior officials close to Madonsela have revealed that Mkhwebane has asked that the television channels in the Pretoria office reception be changed from eNCA to…
You guessed it…
…Gupta-owned ANN7.
I mean, it’s not even the SABC.
She also told the office that it existed to work with government and not be its enemy. This is according to Business Live – who reported other concerns:
There is a question mark about what her approach towards the state capture report will be. The report, which centres on President Jacob Zuma’s relationship with the Gupta family, was finalised by Madonsela on her last day. On Friday she is expected to file an affidavit responding to Zuma and Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen’s court bid to prevent the report’s release.
Mkhwebane said at a media briefing on Thursday that she was taking advice on the matter and was deciding whether she would oppose or agree with the application lodged by the pair. Insiders say she disagrees with some aspects of the report and the way it was finalised.
During her first two days, according to sources in the office, she redeployed staff viewed as close to Madonsela. Chief of staff Bonginkosi Dhlamini, who had been in the post for just over three months, and Madonsela’s former personal assistant, Busi Jele, were set to be redeployed — as was the only senior investigator who worked on the state capture report.
Mkhwebane met senior management in a “marathon two-day session” and emerged with key decisions on changes to the office, she told journalists.
These included doing away with donor funding and the use of consultants in investigations. The naming of investigative reports would be changed and a project to address the investigation backlog would be initiated.
And we, as the people, have no control over yet another corrupt decision.
[source:businesslive]
