Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has lamented the eroding of her office as a result of bickering over the Nkandla issue and appealed for the Constitution to be the guiding principle instead of personalising matters.
She said defiance against her office was mounting in the wake of the Nkandla saga‚ saying one institution went as far as sending a two-sentence reply‚ with one municipality missing the reply timeline and not asking for an extension.
Madonsela said: “There is an emerging trend to ignore findings. Up until this (Nkandla) people would respect timelines... if people can’t get results through the Public Protector‚ they may resort to extra-judicial means like protests”
The Public Protector was responding to questions in Pretoria on Monday after reading from what she would have presented to the parliament ad hoc committee on Nkandla‚ which elected not to hear evidence from Madonsela.
Madonsela said it was unfortunate that she had to make her presentations through the media‚ saying she had no other means.
“I do not know why the committee elected not to invite me but I hope that people are acting in good faith. I hope after this conversation the speaker (Baleka Mbete) would advise her colleagues that it is necessary...it is not me who determines the processes but the Act‚” she said.
She stuck to her guns on her findings that President Jacob Zuma and his family unduly benefited from the R246-million upgrades at his Nkandla homestead and that he should pay back a portion of the money.
Madonsela said there was no legal basis for police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s report that found Zuma had nothing to pay.
Madonsela: Nkandla bickering has eroded my office
She said defiance against her office was mounting in the wake of the Nkandla saga‚ saying one institution went as far as sending a two-sentence reply‚ with one municipality missing the reply timeline and not asking for an extension.
Madonsela said: “There is an emerging trend to ignore findings. Up until this (Nkandla) people would respect timelines... if people can’t get results through the Public Protector‚ they may resort to extra-judicial means like protests”
The Public Protector was responding to questions in Pretoria on Monday after reading from what she would have presented to the parliament ad hoc committee on Nkandla‚ which elected not to hear evidence from Madonsela.
Madonsela said it was unfortunate that she had to make her presentations through the media‚ saying she had no other means.
“I do not know why the committee elected not to invite me but I hope that people are acting in good faith. I hope after this conversation the speaker (Baleka Mbete) would advise her colleagues that it is necessary...it is not me who determines the processes but the Act‚” she said.
She stuck to her guns on her findings that President Jacob Zuma and his family unduly benefited from the R246-million upgrades at his Nkandla homestead and that he should pay back a portion of the money.
Madonsela said there was no legal basis for police Minister Nathi Nhleko’s report that found Zuma had nothing to pay.
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