Arrogance of the powerful made plain for all to see

Despite repeated assurances by government and ANC heavyweights that they respect the office of the public protector, it is hard to avoid concluding that a closing of the ranks is taking place against the incumbent, Thuli Madonsela.

Madonsela commands wide respect among South Africans for her determination to speak truth to power. Initially, President Jacob Zuma appeared to share this view and acted decisively on her recommendations, even when they reflected poorly on his allies.

In 2011 Zuma dismissed two cabinet ministers - Public Works' Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Cooperative Governance's Sicelo Shiceka, and suspended national police chief Bheki Cele - on the basis of two damning public protector findings.

Since then Madonsela's investigations appear to have cut too close to the bone. Her damning finding that Zuma had benefited unduly from the R246-million in taxpayers' money spent on a ''security upgrade'' to his private home is a case in point.

Zuma delivered a half-hearted response to her finding within the stipulated period, and then ANC MPs stonewalled to ensure that the mandated parliamentary debate could not take place before the elections. Then the government announced that it would ask a court to review Madonsela's findings; now it appears to be getting cold feet about the review application.

The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Pansy Tlakula, defiantly rejected an adverse Madonsela finding - which was vindicated by an independent inquiry and the electoral court - and has vowed to go to the Constitutional Court.

Last week Zuma's new communications minister, Faith Muthambi, confirmed the appointment of the SABC's controversial chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, even though Madonsela had found that he had lied about having a matric certificate and had benefited from irregular salary hikes. Muthambi's justification? An unnamed law firm had supposedly cleared Motsoeneng.

Such blatant disregard for the office of a Chapter 9 institution must be stopped right now. Politicians, no matter how powerful, cannot be allowed to choose which of Madonsela's findings to accept.