Johannesburg - Political parties in Parliament no longer act in the interests of the people, but rather those of their funders, says African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader Vuyo Zungula.
Zungula said most parties are funded by the very same banks and mining companies that are interested in keeping the status quo, and not the interests of the people of this country.
Zungula was reacting to the impeachment of Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who on Monday was removed from her position by members of the National Assembly. On Monday, 318 members of the National Assembly voted in support of Mkhwebane's removal, with just 43 voting against her impeachment.
The ATM, the EFF, the UDM, and the PAC were some of the parties that objected to Mkhwebane’s impeachment.
Zungula said the banks and the state have used their power to end the career of the public protector, whose only sin was to probe and question these institutions through her investigations.
"There is a link between the banks, the mining sector, and the politicians because most of the political parties are funded by the very same banks and mining companies. With advocate Mkhwebane finding against such powerful individuals, it was most likely that these mighty and powerful institutions would unleash parties that they control in order to push through such a motion. This shows that parties in Parliament are no longer acting in the best interests of the people. Rather, they are acting in the interests of whoever is funding them," Zungula told Newzroom Afrika.
On Monday, EFF MP Omphile Maotwe said they reserve the right to take the Section 194 report on judicial review because the process was unfair. She said the process was littered with many inconsistencies, and Mkhwebane was not even provided with legal representatives until March.
"We reject the report, and we reject the political witch hunt initiated by the DA and supported by the ANC to punish Advocate Mkhwebane in order to protect (President Cyril) Ramaphosa," said Maotwe.
The Star