Johannesburg - Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Friday compared herself to Struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to much debate on social media.
In a stunningly fierce tweet, the public protector, who has been under increased scrutiny having lost several high profile cases for her investigative reports, said her treatment was like that of Stratcom with Winnie Mandela.
There are growing calls for Mkhwebane to be fired as the head of the Chapter 9 institution. The latest high profile case saw the Constitutional Court uphold a Gauteng North High Court decision which saw her incur a punitive personal cost order for her report into the Bankcorp and Reserve Bank lifeboat matter.
The highest court in the land was scathing against the conduct of the public protector and found that she had acted in bad faith, was not honest and her conduct fell “short of the high standards required of her office”.
The court upheld the decision to slap her with 15% of the Reserve Bank’s legal fees from her own pocket, the figure, reported at close to R900 000.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, Mkhwebane tweeted a video from Pascale Lamche’s documentary titled Winnie, which was released last year after her death. In the documentary, a former Stratcom agent (the Apartheid police’s strategic communication propaganda apparatus) confirmed that they had targeted Madikizela-Mandela and alleged he had a database of over 40 journalists working with him.
“Lest we forget how #WinnieMadikizelaMandela was treated by stratcom,” tweeted Mkhwebane.
Borrowing from EFF leader Julius Malema’s speech at Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral last year, she continued: “Mama I am subjected to the same treatment and my family is also terrorized including my 89 year old mother,” she said, adding a bible line, ‘if I perish, I perish’.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinnieMadikizelaMandela?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinnieMadikizelaMandelawas treated by stratcom, Mama I am subjected to the same treatment and my family is also terrorized including my 89 year old mother. Aluta continue #ifIperishIperish #HappyWomenMonth pic.twitter.com/kki1ZfM59F
— Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane (@AdvBMkhwebane)
An Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project report this week claimed Mkhwebane was being investigated for receiving $5 000 from Gupta associates, while a Mail and Guardian report on Friday said FNB had opened an investigation for exchange control violations.
Mkhwebane rubbished the OCCRP report earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Malema had made a fiery speech at Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral in April last year.
"Mama, some of those who sold you to the regime are here and are crying louder than all of us who stood by you. The UDF cabal that distance itself from you is here crying crocodile tears after disowning you at a critical moment hoping the regime will finish you off," Malema said at the funeral.
You can watch the speech below.
WATCH: Malema’s Mama They Are Here speech at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral
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Twitter was divided on the comparison.
You fought political battles and shifted from what you vowed for.
— Mordecai (@Mxwillia_58) August 2, 2019
Politics will use you and dump you.
Mama Winnie was a divine woman never dare compare yourself to her calibre. pic.twitter.com/aFF5yvGzMe
Now that you want EFF support you remembered mama Winnie just do your job without fear or favour stop been a hired gun how about Estina dairy farm investigation you claimed you don't hv resources to investigate is because it involved your handlers
— PrinceMuzila (@muzila_prince) August 2, 2019
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/PublicProtector?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PublicProtector #WinnieMandela pic.twitter.com/iEcQU87Ow6
— KatlehoMK 🇿🇦 (@KatlehoMK)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/AdvBMkhwebane?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdvBMkhwebanemay God grant you resilience of Mama vs Stratcom n mpimpis. You are loved 💕 pic.twitter.com/tYN17CCmJg
— Nkosentsha Shezi (@NShezi)
undefinedYou will never be like Winnie Mandela, just stop right here. You allowed people to use you and your powers and now you play the victim?
— Namedi Masemola (@MasemolaNamedi) August 2, 2019
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/WinnieMandela?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WinnieMandela? She was treated horrifically. Taken away from her kids, abused, incarcerated & in solitary confinement. You have lost some poor cases in a court of law whilst earning a good salary and living well.
— Mike Abel (@abelmike)
undefinedBreaking news Mkhwebane is equating herself to Winnie Mandela 😂😂😂
— Poketams (@poketams) August 2, 2019
She is comparing herself to Mam Winnie Mandela and calling the media Stratcom, I don't know why she included her grandmother in that tweet 🙈🙈🙈
— Ntobeko©™ (@MweliNtobeko) August 2, 2019