S

HE’Satthehelmofone
ofthemostimportant
offices in the land,
taskedwithprobingcor-
ruptionandkeepingthe
powersthatbeonthe
straightandnarrow.
Butinsteadof qua-
shing controversy,publicprotector
BusisiweMkhwebaneis oftenthecause

THE ISSUE

PublicenterprisesministerPravinGordhan

hasbeendoggedbyallegationsofa rogueunit,

foundlastyearthatrogue-unitallegations

were “without a sound factual basis”. And yet

stillMkhwebanewent after Gordhan.

NDING

investigation – the 10th official

egations that have been widely

found a unit had been set up and

ntelligence code and laws

d notbeen authorised by the

mended President Cyril

iscipline Gordhan and that the

investigate too.

ccessfully applied for an

ntlygranted by Judge Sulet

uspend the public protector’s

recommendations. “Much of the [recommen-

dations] are vague, contradictory and/or

nonsensical,” the judge said.

EXPERTS SAY

Political scientist and analyst Professor Bheki

Mngomezulu says now that Gordhan has

interdicted Mkhwebane’s remedial action, the

facts may come out and the issue can be laid to

rest once and for all.

Political analyst Ralph Mathekga agrees.

“This is the first time we might hear a full

interrogation of the rogue unit through the

court process.

“It might bring some light to this issue,

because there are a lot of unanswered

questions.”

of it.

She has been accused of being a

stooge for the faction loyal to former

president Jacob Zuma, of turning a

blind eye to many issues affecting the

country – such as the VBS Bank scandal

and state capture – and pursuing issues

that could put SA on the road to disas-

ter.

ConstitutionallawexpertProfessor

Pierre de Vos says he can’t say for sure

what her motivations are.

“But I can say this: she is not com-

petent. A reasonable person might be

very fearful that she has an agenda and

is biased because it’s very difficult not

to conclude there’s something fishy go-

ing on.

“Some of the things she has done are

quite incomprehensible.”

PP VS PRAVIN GORDHAN

She’s notgainingfans

withher much-talked-

aboutrulings. Weunpack

some ofpublic protecto

BusisiweMkhwebane’s

controversial cases

BYLESEGO MAJA

w.w.www r .co.cooozazzazaa

gg y g g

illegally establishedwhenhe wascommis-

sioner of the SARevenueServicetospyon

high-profileindividuals.He

hasdenieditsexistence.

Acommissionof

enquiryheadedby

Judge Robert Nugent

THEPPFIN

Mkhwebane’s

probeintoalle

discredited–f

violatedSA’si

becauseithad

president.

Sherecomm

Ramaphosad

policeshould

Gordhansu

interdict,rece

Potterill, tosu