'Dear Women of Mzansi': Lindiwe Sisulu Pens Support for Suspended Public Prosecutor Busisiwe Mkhwebane

• Former Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has written an open letter declaring her support for suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and the late Tina Joemat-Pettersson
• In the letter, the ANC Women's League member compares Mkhwebane's inquiry ordeal to that of the former first lady, Winnie Mandela
• People took this letter as an opportunity to address the Member of Parliament's scandals, with one user accusing her of trying to stay relevant

JOHANNESBURG - Former minister Lindwe Sisulu has come to the defence of suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, and the late former Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson.

ANC Women's League veteran Lindiwe Sisulu pens open letter

The Citizen reports that in an open letter titled 'Dear Women of Mzansi', Sisulu expressed that as an African woman and a member of the ANC's Women's League, NEC and veterans, she cannot sit back and watch women being treated "reprehensibly" and different to men:

Read also

Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane slaps President Cyril Ramaphosa and SIU with court interdict

“Silence is tantamount to a brazen betrayal of the values instilled in me by my parents, the ANC and, above all, the values enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa."

She compares Mkhwebane to former ANC Women's League president Winnie Mandela.

"I saw this happen to Comrade Winnie Mandela when she was so painfully excluded from ANC leadership in 1995 after being accused of corruption."

Tina was a "kind and gentle soul"

According to a separate report by IOL, the letter suggests that Joemat-Pettersson's implication by Mkhwebane to have solicited bribes with other ANC members of Parliament was a misinterpretation of intention:

"Similarly with Tina, a victim of her own compassion, maybe she thought she was reaching out to another woman to 'save' her. All who knew Tina knew her as a gentle, kind, caring soul."

Read also

Rosemary Ndlovu is "warm and charming": 'Rosemary's Hitlist' director describes cop-turned-serial killer

Social media had mixed emotions about the letter:

@AfrikaThabiso praised Sisulu:

"Finally Lindiwe Sisulu is coming out guns blazing to be on the right side of history. Defending our PP @AdvBMkhwebane is not a choice anymore, it is a MUST! Those who are simply falling into bandwagon of vilifying her are plainly gullible."

@AbrahamMalete was not having it:

"Lindiwe trying to be relevant."

@MuhleziNtombela said:

"She finally speaks, while the rest of ANC's women in Parliament voted for her impeachment. Stomach politics."

Suspended public protector receives backlash from parliament

Briefly News previously reported that the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) wanted the suspended public protector to provide hard evidence for her brazen bribery claims.

Several warnings from the Parliament's Ethics Committee pleading with Mkhwebane not to proceed with the releasing of the tapes to the public fell on deaf ears.

Mkhwebane's lawyers received a lawyer's letter from the committee's register stating its disappointment in how she handled the audio allegations on 12 June.

Source: Briefly News