Former public protector Thuli Madonsela has fired a salvo at former president Jacob Zuma, saying he used his time as president to enrich himself and that he sold the country to the Guptas.
“We should not forget that he is a person who sold the country to the Guptas,” said Madonsela as she warned another Zuma presidency would collapse South Africa.
Zuma is contesting the May 29 elections under the banner of the Umkhonto WeSizwe Party (MKP), which was publicly launched in December last year. The MKP appears to be gaining momentum after a string of court victories, with the party canvassing strong and vocal support in KwaZulu-Natal in particular.
Madonsela alleged that Zuma repurposed many of the state entities to do the work and enriched his family and the family of the Guptas.
“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 enrich his family and the family of the Guptas.
“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,” she said.
Zuma resigned as president in 2018 after facing numerous votes of no confidence and even faced an impeachment vote in Parliament for his alleged involvement in corruption with the Guptas.
But he survived all of them, shielded by the ANC’s majority.
In an interview with eNCA, Madonsela, who served as the Public Protector from 2009 to 2016, criticised the Electoral Court's decision to allow Zuma to be on the ballot.
Last week, the court ruled that Zuma will be allowed to be on the list of MKP.
Zuma is number one on the list of candidates for the MKP to Parliament.
Mandosela also expressed shock that Zuma, who was once in the ANC, was now campaigning against it.
“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 am shocked by President Zuma, I am 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 the remission of sentence, the president has not overruled a court of law and his sentence is shorter,” she said.
She maintained that this was against the principle of separation of powers.
Zuma had previously mentioned that he wanted to come back and fix the country.
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