President tells Madonsela to stop "unwarranted attacks"
The Presidency says it is concerned about continuing public statements by the former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on matters relating to President Jacob Zuma and the State of Capture report.
"Adv Madonsela has discharged her duties as the Public Protector and has no further role to play in the process regarding the said report. Her unwarranted public attacks on the President, as happened in Stellenbosch on Thursday, are unbecoming and are not helpful," says the Presidency.
The Presidency says it would be prudent for Madonsela to step back and allow legal and constitutional processes to unfold unhindered.
It says it is also concerned by the leaking of a recorded interview between herself and President Zuma to a news TV channel.
"This conduct has serious implications with regards to ethics, confidentiality and the protection of information gathered during investigations by the Office of the Public Protector. It is also not clear why Adv Madonsela decided to leak only the audio recordings of the discussion with the President despite the fact that she had interviewed several witnesses," says the Presidency.