The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) has come out in support of Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane whom the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants removed from her position.

Criticism has mounted against the public protector since Friday's scathing judgment, in which the North Gauteng High Court set aside her Bankorp/CIEX report and awarded costs to Absa and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB).

Mkhwebane was also ordered to pay 15 percent of the costs of the SARB in her personal capacity.

Coming out in full support of the public protector, the ANCWL said: "The Public Protector has endured enormous attacks from the arrogant defenders of colonialism and apartheid laws and she has to be defended by all progressive South Africans". 

Last week Absa successfully persuaded the court to set aside Mkhwebane's report, released in June, in which she ordered the bank to pay R1.125-billion for an apartheid-era bailout provided to its predecessor Bankorp by the Reserve Bank.

The bank successfully applied to the court for the report to be set aside. It also asked the court to declare that Mkhwebane had abused her powers.

But in an a statement issued by secretary general, Meokgo Matuba, the ANCWL countered: "If public protector has a case to answer she must be taken through lawful processes to answer her case, not through courts of public opinion presided over by DA".

The organisation said it "has noted that the 'Israel cheer leaders - DA' is intensifying it's smear campaigns tactics" against Mkhwebane. 

"The DA's call that Advocate Mkhwebane must be removed after the Court ruled that ABSA must not pay back the money received from South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is nothing but to ensure that the Court ruling is not appealed. The Public Protector has a right to appeal or not appeal the Court ruling on CIEX -ABSA report," said the ANCWL.

"The public protector is answerable to the constitution and administratively accountable to the Parliament and not to the DA as a political party."