JOHANNESBURG - The African Transformation Movement has called on all South Africans to support Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane ''in her sterling work as she executes her mandate without fear or favour''.
The ATM had been following with ''shock and disgust media utterances attributed to'' the DA on Mkhwebane's removal, the party said in a statement.
The DA's call ''exposes its wanting understanding of the Constitution, and also confirms its long harboured vindictiveness in opposing Mkhwebane’s appointment from the very beginning'', the ATM said.
The Constitution provided that a public protector could be removed by a two-thirds parliamentary majority on grounds of misconduct, incapacity, or incompetence.
''No competent authority has pronounced on any of the grounds at this time,'' it said.
Mkhwebane had been very hard at work since she took office and had resolved numerous matters impacting vulnerable people who could not afford legal representation.
Out of thousands of reports, ''only a handful of some 100 formal reports already released are being challenged, and fewer still set aside by courts. Reports so set aside are on appeal, and therefor in abeyance, making it irrational and premature for the DA to be citing such incidents in its attack on the PP''.
''As lower court judges are not dismissed for being reversed by higher courts, it is absurd to attempt to abuse the review mechanism for political expediency.
''A number of court dismissals can never justify removal, and do not indicate even alleged incompetence, as the PP’s batting average will remain high, and her commitment will remain beyond suspicion, by the very fact that she is prepared to take a stance in the face of possible challenge,'' the ATM said.