Niehaus taunts Madonsela over her ‘rather shabby’ state capture report

Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association spokesperson Carl Niehaus attempted to start a twar with former public protector Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday evening, using a philosophical tweet from Madonsela as an opportunity to go on the attack.

Madonsela tweeted: “I’ve learned that those who want the truth don’t need much convincing while those preferring lies will ignore the truth no matter how meticulously presented,” adding the hashtag #JustAThought.

Niehaus responded that Madonsela’s The State of Capture report, looking into the influence of the controversial Gupta family over then president Jacob Zuma’s presidency, was not an “example of meticulous presentation”.

“With all the spelling errors, and poor syntax it was rather shabby. But I suppose you had to rush to get it out, in order to serve the purpose of what you wanted to achieve,” he alleged.

Madonsela did not respond.

I’ve learned that those who want the truth don’t need much convincing while those preferring lies will ignore the truth no matter how meticulously presented #JustAThought

— Prof Thuli Madonsela #KindnessBuilds (@ThuliMadonsela3) July 24, 2019

Yes Prof, but not that your “The State of Capture” report was really an example of meticulous presentation. With all the spelling errors, and poor syntax it was rather shabby. But I suppose you had to rush to get it out, in order to serve the purpose of what you wanted to achieve

— Carl Niehaus (@niehaus_carl) July 24, 2019

A controversial figure, Niehaus is known for his unwavering loyalty to Zuma.

He was recently among those who attended the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture in support of the former president, and before this sometimes appeared and spoke outside court during Zuma’s corruption trial, at one point telling former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke “to watch out” after he referred to the former president as a “bumbling fool” in a speech.

He has also made his support for current public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane clear, recently saying she has been doing her job “without fear or favour”, something he clearly doesn’t think of her predecessor.

READ MORE: Viral picture meant to launch ‘misplaced attack’ on Mkhwebane, says Carl Niehaus 

A photograph which some were convinced was of himself and Mkhwebane recently did the rounds on social media, with some alleging it exposed a “cosy relationship” between the pair. It turned out not to be of Mkhwebane, but his friend and chair of the Agribusiness Working Group of the Brics Business Council, Slauzy Mogame.

In a statement responding to the picture earlier this week, Niehaus said it was evidence of a “misplaced attack” on Mkhwebane.

“The fake narrative that was being spun out in hyperventilating overdrive, was that I have for some reason met with the public protector in order to try and influence her work. Evidently, the public protector doing her job without fear or favour must have hurt and incensed some people so much, as to get them to respond with such stupid and amateurish nervous desperation,” he said.

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