It was reported by The Sunday Times that Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela is living in fear for her life.
This comes after a warning that she received from a whistleblower who told her that a prominent Western Cape gang leader had been paid R740 000 to orchestrate the assassination which was supposed to look like a car accident.
Madonsela spoke of her shock to the paper and said she did not know where this was coming from as she was leaving office in five months. “It’s probably revenge,” she speculated.
Since taking office in 2009, Madonsela has stepped on a lot of toes. Several prominent public office bearers were removed from their positions following reports released by Madonsela’s office.
Bheki Cele was removed as National Police Commissioner in 2012 after Madonsela found that he was involved in improper conduct and maladministration for the leasing of police offices.
Former chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Pansy Tlakula resigned from her position after Madonsela’s office found that Tlakula was responsible for gross maladministration following the irregular leasing of new IEC offices.
In 2014, Madonsela released a report on public spending at the private homestead of President Jacob Zuma in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. The report showed that Zuma had unduly benefited in the multi-million upgrades that the State had spent on his home.
In that report, Madonsela stated that Zuma should pay back a reasonable portion of the non-security upgrades.
From then on, Madonsela has received a backlash from most members of parliament who even questioned the powers of her office. Following the release of that report, the ANC deputy secretary-general, Jessie Duarte, accused Madonsela of being a populist; and deputy defence minister, Kebby Maphatsoe, has called her a ‘CIA spy’.
This is a developing story, more details to follow.
