Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
04 October 2024 | 11:40 a.m. CAT
2-minute read

Former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s racial comments after her failed attempt to appeal her impeachment has been condemned by numerous individuals and organisations, including the Parliament, DA and COSATU.

Mkhwebane, currently an EFF MP, reportedly claimed that key individuals, particularly those of Indian descent, were biased. In a public statement on Tuesday following her unsuccessful appeal, she said that Judge Nathan Poonan, who led the judgment displayed noticeable arrogance and was dismissive throughout the proceedings.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Senior Research Associate at ASRI Dr Imraan Buccus said that while it is really concerning that someone of Mkhwebane’s stature can take a stance like this, it comes as no surprise.

“[It] certainly [is] not new. Mkhwebane and other members of the EFF, including its leader Julius Malema, have opted to do this in the past. We’ve seen this even with Pravin Gordhan, certainly not respecting the decorum one attached to death and making disparaging comments about him, too. So no surprise,” Dr Buccus observed.

In her statement, Mkhwebane said, “My ongoing struggle has consistently involved key figures, predominantly of Indian descent, who have positioned themselves as my persecutors. These individuals include Pravin Gordhan, Bawa (Evidence Leader), Adhikarie (Chief Legal Adviser of Parliament), Hassan Ebrahim (so-called expert witness), Ivan Pillay (Witness), and Fatima Ebrahim (Legal Adviser of Parliament). Judge Poonan’s attitude further underscores the challenges and biases I have faced in my quest for justice.”

https://x.com/AdvBMkhwebane/status/1841104211007729755

Dr Buccus emphasised the need for Parliament and the EFF in particular to call Mkhwebane to order.

The Social Research Foundation has placed the EFF on a downward trend at 6%, Dr Buccus reported. While this could be for a number of reasons, it appears that the electorate is weary of the party and particularly disillusioned with its race politics.

“I don’t think it’s [race politics] are resonating with the electorate like the EFF may have previously thought,” Dr Buccus noted, adding that voters have become a lot more sophisticated.

Mkhwebane’s comments are in complete dissonance with the unity that is characteristic of both national and international progressive movements. In South African history, the ANC embraced African internationalism in the early 1900s, bringing together diverse groups under one banner. Even Biko’s radical Black Consciousness movement was not exclusionary and welcomed people to the group regardless of ethnic background.

In other parts of the world, particularly in places where South Asian or Indian populations were minorities, leadership often advocated for unity. In South America’s Guyana, for instance, Africanist leader Walter Rodney also pushed for unity among Indian people in the Guyanese context.

Dr. Buccus suggested that the EFF may be on a downward trajectory, pointing to Floyd Shivambu’s exit from the party and the Mkhwebane incident as signs of its decline.

Dr Buccus said that it is likely that the EFF is on a downward trajectory, with Floyd Shivambu’s departure from the party and the Mkhwebane incident as indicators of its decline.

Listen to the ASRI Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Habib Bobat.