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SA Public Protector says current crisis in Zimbabwe is 20 years late
14 Nov 2017 at 17:47hrs | Views
Deputy Public Protector Advocate Kevin Sifiso Malunga has added his voice to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Malunga, son of prominent late Zimbabwean nationalist Sydney Donald Malunga, twitted, "The current crisis in #Zimbabwe is 20 years late but something had to give."
As a leading political actor, civic leader and outspoken MP, he was targeted and persecuted by President Robert Mugabe's regime for political reasons. Resultantly, he was arrested on false politically motivated charges alongside other senior Zapu leaders and top Zipra commanders in the 1980s for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.
Malunga died on August 28, 1994, in a mysterious car accident. He was buried at the Heroes Acre in Harare on September 3 the same year.
Malunga attempted to run for the influential post of South African Public Protector - given a high-profile by corruption-buster Thuli Madonsela - but failed to make the shortlist under a dark cloud of controversy.
Kevin became entangled in citizenship, security clearance and full disclosure issues which jeopardised his prospects, in fact, sealed his fate.
The citizenship issue came into focus after South Africa's State Security Agency (SSA) entered the fray, saying Kevin was not suitable for the position as he was born in Zimbabwe and thus could not get top security clearance needed to become the public protector. He only qualified for confidential - not top secret - security clearance, it said.
Officially, SSA also said Malunga arrived in South Africa in 2005 and became a citizen by naturalisation in 2010.
Questioned about this by the committee‚ Kevin said he was a bona fide South African citizen as he has renounced his original Zimbabwean citizenship.
"I denounced (renounced) the Zim citizenship in 2010 and I will have to follow up if it was concluded. I got South African citizenship in 2010," Kevin said. "I have family in Zimbabwe as well as South Africa‚ and I travel both countries very frequently. If the State Security Agency does not understand that, I feel very sorry for them."
The committee also challenged him on full disclosure grounds, saying he failed to divulge some issues in the questionnaire. These include a driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated charge which was later withdrawn and failure to pass his Wits University Law School probation period as a lecturer.
Kevin has been South Africa's deputy public protector since December 2012.
Kevin was born in 1974 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He went to Hillside Junior School in Bulawayo, Mzingwane High in Esigodini 40km south of Bulawayo and then proceeded to study law for a BA in Law in Swaziland.
He obtained his LLB at the former University of Natal and an LLM from the University of Georgetown in the United States. He is currently studying for a PhD with the University of Wisconsin, also in the US.
Malunga, son of prominent late Zimbabwean nationalist Sydney Donald Malunga, twitted, "The current crisis in #Zimbabwe is 20 years late but something had to give."
Kevin's father, the remarkably candid Sydney Donald Malunga, was a senior-PF Zapu official and MP for Makokoba in Bulawayo.The current crisis in #Zimbabwe is 20 years late but something had to give.
— KevinSifisoMalunga (@KevinMalunga) November 14, 2017
As a leading political actor, civic leader and outspoken MP, he was targeted and persecuted by President Robert Mugabe's regime for political reasons. Resultantly, he was arrested on false politically motivated charges alongside other senior Zapu leaders and top Zipra commanders in the 1980s for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.
Malunga died on August 28, 1994, in a mysterious car accident. He was buried at the Heroes Acre in Harare on September 3 the same year.
Malunga attempted to run for the influential post of South African Public Protector - given a high-profile by corruption-buster Thuli Madonsela - but failed to make the shortlist under a dark cloud of controversy.
Kevin became entangled in citizenship, security clearance and full disclosure issues which jeopardised his prospects, in fact, sealed his fate.
The citizenship issue came into focus after South Africa's State Security Agency (SSA) entered the fray, saying Kevin was not suitable for the position as he was born in Zimbabwe and thus could not get top security clearance needed to become the public protector. He only qualified for confidential - not top secret - security clearance, it said.
Officially, SSA also said Malunga arrived in South Africa in 2005 and became a citizen by naturalisation in 2010.
Questioned about this by the committee‚ Kevin said he was a bona fide South African citizen as he has renounced his original Zimbabwean citizenship.
"I denounced (renounced) the Zim citizenship in 2010 and I will have to follow up if it was concluded. I got South African citizenship in 2010," Kevin said. "I have family in Zimbabwe as well as South Africa‚ and I travel both countries very frequently. If the State Security Agency does not understand that, I feel very sorry for them."
The committee also challenged him on full disclosure grounds, saying he failed to divulge some issues in the questionnaire. These include a driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated charge which was later withdrawn and failure to pass his Wits University Law School probation period as a lecturer.
Kevin has been South Africa's deputy public protector since December 2012.
Kevin was born in 1974 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He went to Hillside Junior School in Bulawayo, Mzingwane High in Esigodini 40km south of Bulawayo and then proceeded to study law for a BA in Law in Swaziland.
He obtained his LLB at the former University of Natal and an LLM from the University of Georgetown in the United States. He is currently studying for a PhD with the University of Wisconsin, also in the US.
Source - Byo24News
