Ndlozi slams ‘unforgivable’ magazine cover asking if Mkhwebane is ‘enemy of the state’

Financial Mail‘s decision to place Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on its cover, along with the questions ‘Enemy of the state?’ did not sit well with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who called it “unforgivable”, as well as a sign that “white monopoly capital has taken its [gloves] off in its war against the” public protector.

“We must all unite behind [advocate] Mkhwebane because it’s no longer about her capability or competence. It is now a political war against her because she is touching the untouchables,” Ndlozi added.

The EFF has made its support for Mkhwebane, and its opposition to both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan – who they have claimed is really the one running the country – clear.

It is likely this pair he is referring to as being “untouchables”.

The party joined Mkhwebane’s defence against Gordhan’s attempt to interdict the remedial action stipulated in her report which found him guilty of violating the constitution through his involvement in the so-called Sars “rogue unit”.

On Monday, following Judge Sulet Potterill’s finding in Gordhan’s favour and granting the interdict, the party released a statement announcing their intention of appealing the ruling.

Following the EFF’s controversial behaviour in parliament, which saw the party removed from chambers for trying to prevent Gordhan delivering his department’s budget vote speech, Ndlozi said he wanted to show those who “steal money” and “defy courts” that they were not “untouchable”.

“Your rules are made to make sure that this place, these people who steal money, who defy courts, come here and have business as usual so we defy them in protest to show them they are not untouchable and we make no apology about that,” he said.

“Never show contempt to the public protector. It doesn’t matter who holds that office, it doesn’t matter the incumbent – protect and respect chapter 9 institutions or else you are going to be met with protest here and we are ready for anything – the army, your hooligans that you call security, we are ready for all of them,” he said at the time.

EFF leader Julius Malema first made it clear that he would be declaring war on Gordhan and Ramaphosa at a rally to mark the party’s fifth birthday in July 2018.

“Next year we are going to pull the buffalo by the tail,” he announced, in a reference to Ramaphosa’s “buffalo” nickname.

“Our people know that Ramophosa is not in charge but it is Pravin. Our people know that Ramaphosa wants to privatise Eskom, Denel and SAA. These SOEs should not be privatised but should be kept for our people to curb unemployment,” said the leader of the red berets.

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