Busi, why must the tired taxpayer now foot your bill?

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane losing in court is not new. Since taking office in 2016, she has lost a number of high-profile cases.

With each defeat, the call to have her removed grows stronger. With this in mind, Friday’s latest ruling was not surprising after she lost yet another battle with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan – but there’s an interesting subplot to this, which will certainly not endear her to the public.

It’s not only the losses that are devastating, it’s the judges’ scathing comments when they find against her that put her credibility on the line.

On Friday, the Constitutional Court dismissed applications by Mkhwebane and the Economic Freedom Fighters in their fight against Gordhan. However, Acting Deputy Chief Justice Sisi Khampepe also said she would not have to dig into her own pocket to cover any of the legal costs of the urgent court action.

That means you, the taxpayer, must foot the bill.

While we agree with Khampepe that the position of public protector must be respected at all times, in a time where every cent counts as we battle this pandemic and try to survive in a drowning economy, we certainly don’t want our hard-earned money to be ill-spent.

Public protector, over to you.

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