Deputy Public Protector Kevin Sifiso Malunga has admitted that there are “a lot of things that the office has got it wrong.”
Malunga made the admission during an interview with Vuyo Mvoko on eNCA‘s PolitBureau on Monday night.
Mvoko asked him if the Public Protector’s office should have been a lot more “thorough” in the reports that have drawn criticism from the courts.
In response, Malunga made a startling confession that he doesn’t “know anything” about the Absa report that was scathingly set aside.
So critical was the Constitutional Court about Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s conduct in that investigation that it recently upheld a personal costs order against her.
I think that there are a lot of things that the office has got it wrong. For example, I think we should be consulting each other a lot more.
I don’t know anything about the Absa report, sitting here as the Deputy Public Protector. That should have been done better.
Deputy Public Protector Kevin Sifiso Malunga
Malunga went on to suggest that during the term of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, there was a “think tank” and quality assurance process in place to ensure that report were “litigation proof.”
He appeared to suggest that this process has been weakened during Mkhwebane’s term.
Social media reacts
Malunga’s comments have sparked criticism on social media that he’s “throwing Mkhwebane under the bus.”
Writing on Twitter, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Deputy President Floyd Shivambu accused Malunga of “playing to the gallery.”
Malunga responded to Shivambu’s tweet and said that he has been misunderstood.
He also disputed accusations that he’s angling for Mkhwebane’s job and said he’s “moving on to other things in any event.”
His explanation failed to convince EFF leader Julius Malema, who said Malunga should adhere to “collegiality and professionalism.”