Malema explains EFF's U-turn on Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane
by Noni Mokati
Cape Town - EFF leader Julius Malema says Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane will finish her term of office, come rain or shine.
Malema was addressing the Press Club of South Africa in Cape Town post the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Fielding several questions, Malema was asked why his political party had done a U-turn on Mkhwebane after the Red Berets had initially indicated that they did not have any confidence in her after she released the controversial report about the Absa Lifeboat matter.
Malema said: "We have never called her (Mkhwebane) a spy. We may not like what people do but we respect the rule of law."
On the process initiated by the DA in Parliament to remove Mkhwebane from office, Malema said government and the country had to put emotions aside. He said that the court would rule in her favour on the matter.
"It (initiative to remove Mkhwebane) has to meet the rational test. Please just know that she is going to finish her term (of 7 years)."
Malema also said there was no need for a Ministry of Public Enterprises. To this effect, he said that he had approached Preisdent Cyril Ramaphosa to inform him that Prasa could be handed over to Transport, Denel to National Defence and Eskom to the Department of Energy.
He also said he had informed Ramaphosa that deputy ministers had to be done away with.
"He was surprised (at what I said) at how is he going to discharge political patronage because that is what it is."
Earlier, Malema, commenting on the opening of Parliament and the SONA he said : "When we speak of the State of Nation it is not only taking about current events (but events of the past)."
He said the majority of South Africans still lived in crowded townships, adding that the SONA, was an exercise where leaders went to Parliament to dream, instead of coming up with practical solutions on addressing challenges the country faced.