Johannesburg - Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's claim that her letter to President Jacob Zuma was leaked by a senior ANC leader is preposterous and outrageous, the ANC said on Monday.
“We call on the public protector to reveal the senior ANC leader who leaked her disputed letter to the media,” said spokesman Zizi Kodwa.
“We are hopeful that the public protector will expose those individuals behind the leakages to restore respect and confidence in the Office of the Public Protector,” he said.
“Her failure to do so can only confirm our fears that her office is responsible for these confidence-eroding leakages.
He said Madonsela's accusation suggested that she knew who leaked the letter.
Madonsela on Monday said a senior ANC member leaked her letter to President Zuma to the media.
“She has been advised confidentially that it is a senior politician and member of the ruling party that leaked the confidential letter to the media, conduct she considers improper,” her spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi said in a statement.
“The public protector reiterates her appeal to the media to refrain from peddling confidential documents released dishonestly as this tends to shift the focus from real issues.”
Kodwa said almost all investigations conducted by the public protector were prematurely leaked to the media and not once had she taken responsibility.
“The consistency of these leakages suggest that it is a ploy by the Public Protector's Office to test public opinion or response before releasing her reports.”
He said often the leaked reports were explained as incomplete which suggests that it was her office that could have leaked them.
Madonsela reportedly wrote to Zuma last week that he was second-guessing her recommendations that he should repay money spent on new features that were not related to security, such as a swimming pool, cattle kraal, amphitheatre and visitors' centre. - Sapa