Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane‘s office says it will seek leave to appeal the ruling of the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
The court ruled that Mkhwebane should pay 7,5% of the costs in her personal capacity and her office 85% in the case relating to her Vrede Dairy Farm report which was previously set aside as unconstitutional.
Another legal setback and more financial woes for the office of Public Protector. The Council for the Advancement South African Constitution (Casac) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) approached the High Court to have the report set aside.
Judge Ronel Tolmay had harsh words for Mkhwebane. She found that the Public Protector’s conduct in the Vrede Dairy Farm report was far worse than in her Absa Bankorp report, for which she was slapped with a personal costs order.
Tolmay said Mkhwebane had failed the poor, and that taxpayers cannot be expected to foot the bill for her failures and attempts to defend the indefensible.
Mkhwebane has to personally pay 7.5% of costs for counsel for both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Casac.
Her office says it is extremely concerned about these negative court orders that are seemingly bankrupting her.
