The attacks levelled at Public Protector Thuli Madonsela by the African National Congress are “despicable”, the Congress of the People said on Wednesday.

“The time has arrived for all of us to stand boldly with our Public Protector. She is doing a stupendous job, as an independent constitutional agent, fighting the abuse of power,” spokesperson Dennis Bloem said in a statement.

“The ruling party, on the other hand, is acting despicably in personally attacking Advocate Thuli Madonsela. No South African should tolerate the vicious character assassination that is taking place.”

Madonsela is an upright South African doing her duty without fear or favour, and is trying her best, with her team, to protect South Africa from the ruling party, who we should all be afraid of, he said.

Funds

On Tuesday, the ANC’s chief whip’s office said Madonsela’s statement that Parliament was deliberately withholding funds from her office was baseless.

“We are taken aback by Advocate Madonsela’s allegation that Parliament is deliberately withholding funds to increase her budget to punish her for her investigation into Nkandla security upgrades,” spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said in a statement.

He said Parliament’s Justice and Constitutional Services Portfolio Committee had decided that Parliament should first look at the cases various Chapter Nine institutions are dealing with, before entertaining requests for budget increases.

This is to make sure there is no duplication in their work.

Both the ANC and SACP said Madonsela had been wrong to describe the upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla as luxurious, or serving to beautify or add comfort to the site. An entirely different picture had emerged during the Nkandla ad hoc committee’s visit to the site on July 22.

“All committee members were shocked during the visit to discover that the features previously described as luxury, opulent, comfortable and secure at Nkandla were in fact shoddy workmanship [and] poor quality. The standard as well as the scope of the features were grossly misrepresented,” Mothapo said.

He called on Madonsela to let the committee finish its work before commenting on it.

Madonsela said last week she had hoped the committee would call her to question her about her report on Nkandla, titled “Secure in Comfort”. On Thursday, the ANC used its majority on the committee to vote against such a proposal.

Political and moral bankruptcy

Bloem said when the ruling party resorts to calling Madonsela names, it reflects the ANC’s political and moral bankruptcy as a party.

“The ANC and SACP have no defence against her findings. Unable to play the ball, leaders in the ANC alliance are playing the person in as foul a manner as they can. South Africa must not allow such foul play against the Public Protector,” he said.

Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota, senior party leaders, religious leaders and community leaders will hold a public demonstration on Tuesday at the Public Protector House in Pretoria in support of Madonsela.

“Cope extends an open invitation to all law-abiding citizens to join in this noble campaign of defending our constitution and our chapter nine institutions,” Bloem said. News24