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Economic Freedom Fighters rejects claims by MKMVA head and deputy minister of defence, Kebby Maphatsoe as deserving of criminal charges under Section 9 and 11 of the Public Protector’s Act of 1994. Maphatsoe has claimed that the Public Protector is being paid, and thus used by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America. Section nine clearly states “no one shall Insult the Public Protector”.

An insult is any act or speech that treats the office of the Public Protector with disrespect, particularly with implications on the credibility of her office, its work and its public trust. Maphatsoe, as a deputy minister, an institution of the state, is directly casting a shadow which seeks to render the Public Protector’s work disreputable.

It is very clear that like other ANC relegate leaders, Maphatsoe has ran out of ideas in defending his corrupt political principal who was caught with his hand in the public purse. Yet, President Zuma, or even Maphatsoe have all not disputed that state money was unduly used in the security upgrade of Zuma’s private home in Nkandla. They have not disputed that since this is the case, Zuma must return the money unduly spent in this regard, since it unduly benefited him and his family. Instead, they choose to insult her and her office for doing what is a constitutional duty.

Thuli Madonsela is indeed a human who can make mistakes like accepting the Gupta owned television station ANN7 award. She is can indeed be criticised and engaged on contradictions, inconsistencies and imbalances of her performance. But she and her office must be respected, otherwise as a country we run a risk of delegitimising the important purpose the office represents and must play in our democracy. This is why the constitution provides that anyone who insults this office can be charged and brought to book.

To claim that she is used by CIA is a serious allegation which must be dealt with. The EFF calls on her office to charge Maphatsoe, who must prove his allegations in a court of law, particularly taken the responsibilities bestowed upon him as a deputy minster. The office of the Public Protector must do this to teach the political elite of the ANC who have all gone to town to attack her office, a lesson that there is recourse to actions. The irresponsible utterances must be met with a decisive legal action which will demonstrate to them that the rule of law is alive in this country, and therefore none of them, including Zuma is above the law.

MKMVA, which is actually Zuma’s private army, must never be allowed to regain its relevance and legitimacy at the expense of the democratic institutions like the public protector.

Issued by the EFF