All in a day's work: Public protector slams Mbalula, Zille and Mogajane
To end off the year, public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane released three reports that had the country talking on Wednesday.
Fikile Mbalula
Mkhwebane found that former police minister Fikile Mbalula violated the constitution by asking Sedgars, sporting goods supplier for the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), to pay for his family trip to Dubai in 2016.
Mbalula said he had obtained a R648,000 loan from Sedgars to go on the holiday. But Mkhwebane said she did not have any evidence that Mbalula obtained a loan before going on the trip to Dubai. She said there was evidence that Mbalula paid R275,000 into the account of the company that paid his travel expenses.
Mkhwebane said it was inappropriate for Mbalula to have entered into a "loan agreement" with Yusuf Dockrat, "a director of a company doing business with Sascoc".
She did not recommend any action against Mbalula, as he is no longer a member of cabinet. However she did order the NPA to investigate possible money laundering.
Helen Zille
Mkhwebane found that Western Cape premier Helen Zille violated the executive ethics code by assisting her son to get tablets from the provincial education department for maths classes for disadvantaged matric pupils.
Zille's son, teacher Paul Maree, volunteered to offer extra maths lessons to matric pupils in Khayelitsha in 2014.
Mkhwebane said Zille's intervention in helping her son access the tablets "exposed her to the risk of conflict between her official responsibilities as a first citizen of the province and private interests, which involved her son". She requested that the speaker of the Western Cape legislature takes appropriate action against Zille within 30 working days.
Zille said in a tweet that she would be taking the matter up for review.
I will certainly review. https://t.co/PHQlUd5om3
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) December 19, 2018
Dondo Mogajane
Mkhwebane has ordered President Ramaphosa to take disciplinary action against Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane for not declaring that he had a criminal offence for a speeding ticket before taking the job at the Treasury.
The public protector said Mogajane's offence spoke to the honesty of the DG, adding that then finance minister Malusi Gigaba should have ensured that Mogajane complied with the constitution upon hiring him.
The public protector's three latest rulings were the trending topic of the day, with many social media users weighing in with their opinions.
Politicians use their powers to influence deals all the time. Helen knew exactly what she was doing. Mbalula knew why he accepted that trip. Such things are holding South Africa back.
— Ndlovukazi (@2uli) December 19, 2018
Fikile Mbalula earned enough to be able to afford his own holiday, his corrupt holiday must cause him to fall on his sword, he must be removed from heading @MYANC election campaign.
— #Lujizweni (@fanele_fs) December 20, 2018
For R680k in Mbalula's pocket, the oversized, ill-fitting and ugly tracksuits. https://t.co/XRxeKgaZuP
— Joseph Moyo, DTech (@Joe990nwMoyo) December 19, 2018
A DA brigade be like, "the public protector's judgement is incorrect not to recommend remedial actions against Mbalula. And her finding on uMama ka Paul are strange because Paul was delivering a valuable public service!"😂😂😂
— Cadre in Chief [CIC]™🇿🇦 (@Majesty_I) December 19, 2018
Africa unite ~Bob Marley #PublicProtector pic.twitter.com/9lxzEmYhco
— Phistomshini (@Phistomshini1) December 20, 2018
Had Zille been any other premier, those praising the Public Protector's finding against her would have been the first to rally behind her and urge her not to be apologetic for helping a poor african child. Ai, satafrika.
— Moyabo Masipa (@MoyaboMasipa) December 20, 2018
PP is lauded by DA for making adverse findings against Mbalula and criticized for incompetence for making similar findings against the corrupt zille pic.twitter.com/VzTH6MpaMC
— Lord Commander (@djcomplection) December 19, 2018
Don't forget that Helen Zille is the God mother of Corruption in Cape Town, she can actually move to Nkandla now and marry Jacob of Nkandla, they would be such a powerful - Corruption-couple.....
— Radical rudeness (@VamatiTuli) December 20, 2018
Dondo Mogajane was singing like a canary at the Zondo commission kanti naye smaller nyana skeletons 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Different make 💯💸 💹 (@MtshaliMdu) December 20, 2018
I really don't understand why Dondo Mogajane decided to hide his criminal record. We have Members of Parliament who have criminal records... Heck, we even have Ministers with criminal records, so why this hide and seek?
— Zukula (@Mndeni361) December 20, 2018