Johannesburg – Axed Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has taken a swipe at the National Assembly (NA) as well as the ANC and DA MPs who voted for her removal from office on Monday.
In a tweet on Monday, Mkhwebane said the two-thirds majority vote that resulted in her removal should have been used to advocate for land expropriation and other social needs of the majority of South Africans who do not have access to basic services.
She said her removal from office would not change the status quo for the majority of South Africans, most of whom were poor and unemployed.
“Working the land, and this 2/3 majority vote to remove me, should have been for expropriation of land or changing the mandate of SARB.
“Removing me from office will never change the status quo! People are still without services, land, load shedding, etc. They are just excited that they have removed me from the office. I have done my part,” she said.
On Monday, 318 members of the NA voted in support of Mkhwebane’s removal, with just 43 voting against her impeachment.
In accordance with the provisions of Section 194 of the Constitution, the resolution of the NA will now be referred to the president for Mkhwebane’s removal.
Speaker of the NA, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, confirmed Mkhwebane’s removal from office on Monday, saying the NA had agreed to remove her from office.
“The question is agreed to, and advocate Mkhwebane is accordingly removed from the Office of the Public Protector.”
Ahead of her removal, MPs from all parties debated the matter, with most supporting her impeachment.
However, the EFF, PAC, UDM, and ATM were some of the parties that objected to her impeachment.
PAC leader Mzwanele Nyhontso said Mkhwebane’s removal has exposed the ANC’s hatred for women leaders.
“The ruling party is exposing itself for everyone to see their ugly hatred for women. They punish one of their own severely in order to introduce another timid and useless one of their own again, whom they can use like a puppet,” Nyhontso said.
“What cannot be denied is that advocate Mkhwebane, on the facts established, is not fit and proper,” Richard Dyantyi said.
Following her removal by the NA, it is now up to President Cyril Ramaphosa to ratify her removal.
The Star