Cape Town – Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has cautioned South Africa against voting for corrupt politicians in the upcoming national and provincial elections, warning that their return to public office, particularly figures like former President Jacob Zuma, could lead to the country’s collapse.
Seaking during an inteview with eNCA, Madonsela criticised the decision by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) regarding Zuma’s candidacy, saying that it violated the principle of the separation of powers and likened it to actions under apartheid.
She accused Zuma of disregarding the Constitution and selling the country to the Gupta family.
“For me it sounds bizarre as somebody who was in the ANC and knowing that MK is not owned by any person. Just from an ethics point of view, I’m shocked by president Zuma, I’m also shocked by the decision of the IEC to decide that if a court of law decided that if his sentence is 15 months by remission of sentence, the president has not overruled a court of law and his sentence is shorter.”
PROF THULI MADONSELA
It is bizarre and ethically wrong for Jacob Zuma who was once in the ANC to steal the UMkhonto WeSizwe heritage to himself.
MK has never belonged to an individual
It’s shocking that the Electoral Court has told us that Zuma’s sentence which came from a… pic.twitter.com/psMQbruJYE
— Constitution First 🇿🇦 (@Constitution_94) April 14, 2024
Madonsela said she was shocked by the decision, because it was against the principle of separation of powers.
“It reminds me of a time under apartheid when Parliament created a higher code of Parliament to overrule the Supreme Court of South Africa. For us as South Africans, we should not forget that he is a person who has refused to obey the Constitution. We should not forget that he is a person who sold the country to the Guptas and repurposed many of our state entities to do the work and reach his family and the family of the Gupta’s.
“The people of South Africa should not forget that because if he does come back into power, he will do just that, he will finish that job,” said Madonsela.
In response, the MK party defended Zuma, accusing Madonsela of bias and asserting that Zuma has no ambition to become the country’s leader, The Citizen reported.
The party expressed no surprise at Madonsela’s criticism of Zuma, referencing the Nkandla investigation and an incomplete state capture report.
“Her target was to tarnish the man Jacob Zuma. We are not surprised that she is again lying on public media saying former President Zuma sold the country to the Guptas without mentioning the price and how much did they buy it back from the Guptas and who bought it back.
“Her hatred for President Zuma storms from her paymasters. She has no rationale of her work but only carrying out mere transactional instructions. South Africans should never take her seriously. She is a liar, a product of white capitalist media, who is shivering to wake up to the realities that Jacob Zuma is coming back to the Union Buildings,” the report quoted the MK party as saying.
The upcoming elections set for May 29th are anticipated to be the most fiercely contested polls since the advent of democracy 30 years ago.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
