Advocate Willem Heath was reported implying that he quit his job after two weeks as head of the Special Investigations Unit in 'the national interest'.
Several days after assuming his post, Heath gave an interview to City Press newspaper in which he accused former South African president Thabo Mbeki of orchestrating rape and corruption charges against current president Jacob Zuma.
If it weren't amusing it would be disgusting how politicians and public officials use 'the national interest' rhetoric as a saintly cover of selflessness to hide their sometimes glaringly obvious gaffes.
Heath's statement about Mbeki was a careless indiscretion unbecoming of someone in high public office and his folly compromised him to such an extent that he was forced to resign. Giving his resignation a saintly glow as being in the national interest, and posing almost as a martyr thereby, deftly hides his silly impropriety, improper remarks and irresponsible behaviour. Although his leave-taking might be construed to have been in the national interest it was in fact owing to a palpable lack of diplomacy, and no amount of spin will change that.
You're either capable or not and, in this instance, Mr Heath was found wanting. A simple 'I'm sorry, I blundered' would have carried much more weight.
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