Mkhwebane just showing those who dealt with her the middle finger

It is not surprising that there’s been an outcry after former public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane announced on Monday she was joining the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

This after her impeachment on 11 September by parliament, when she was found guilty of misconduct and incompetence by the Section 194 inquiry. Mkhwebane’s action proves that she has done what most political outcasts do. They react to their hurt without applying their minds properly on what they are embarking on.

ALSO READ: Former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane joins EFF

Instead of her retreating and looking for ways to revive her legal career, Mkhwebane – who is the first head of a Chapter 9 institution to be removed through impeachment – has decided to take a political route of joining the left-wing radical party.

Just like her now comrade-in-arms Mzwanele Manyi, she has shown that, if you fail elsewhere, a political career is a profession for the lost. This is highly worrying.

The very same Mkhwebane who was harshly criticised and threatened to be constitutionally removed by the EFF just after her appointment as public protector in October 2016, today is, in EFF’s eyes, a hero.

ALSO READ: Mkhwebane vows to fight ‘dark forces’ who want to take away her ‘hard-earned’ benefits

As much as she is carrying a wealth of experience from having served in the Chapter 9 institution, it is unlikely she will deposit that experience to the benefit of the EFF. This because her heart is not in the party but in showing the middle finger to those who harshly dealt with her.

Now, the only thing that seems correct to do, is to thank the EFF for voting against her impeachment. Besides that, she doesn’t seem politically interested to turn the ideals of the party to reality. The EFF looks so desperate in its quest for state power as next year’s general election is approaching.

It doesn’t matter who you are and what baggage you are carrying, just come and be a member. They are short-sighted and don’t see that this might lead to the very same predicament that the ANC is facing with the questionable quality of its membership.

ALSO READ: Section 194: Rushed or justified? Busisiwe Mkhwebane could lose millions

The more they attract characters who are only preoccupied with their own advancement, they should be prepared for the innocence of the EFF to surely fade away.

Like Manyi, Mkhwebane is only interested in being awarded a parliamentary seat, even though during her announcement, she pledged to be joining the EFF “voluntarily without any motive of personal gain or material benefit”.

She only wants to pass time in parliament and impress people who no longer care about her. However, it was going to be better if she joined the EFF to improve it and attract voters to the party.

ALSO READ: A step backwards for SA: Mkhwebane’s removal should worry us all

But, unfortunately, just like Manyi, who has been in parliament through the EFF ticket, it has not brought anything new to the party. For both Manyi and Mkhwebane, their presence and absence from the EFF makes no impactful difference. Therefore, Mkhwebane is now just hoping to be given a seat in parliament on a silver platter and chances are high for that to happen.

The move is purely for clout chasing and an attempt to seem relevant. Other than that, there’s nothing else. Because why join the EFF now, considering that she claims she has never been an ANC member before?

You might even find that the seven cardinal pillars that she claims are the real reason behind her joining the EFF, she doesn’t even fully comprehend their actual context – just like most EFF members.

ALSO READ: Mkhwebane’s troubles did not come from being stupid and incompetent

For them, joining the EFF is just based on their attraction to leader Julius Malema’s vibrancy. This supposedly strategic move by Mkhwebane is fuelled by wrong reasons that now allows many to label politics a dumping site for people who are not politically conscious but motivated to prove certain points.

This is counterrevolutionary and doesn’t serve the interests of South Africans in general.

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