The Public Protector’s office says it will study the interim order by the High Court in Pretoria before deciding the way forward in the case involving Water and Sanitation Minister, Gugile Nkwinti.
On Thursday, the court ruled that the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report on Nkwinti may not be made public or be presented to Parliament or the President.
The report however has already been leaked to the public and handed to the President, who is supposed to implement the recommendations.
The Public Protector’s spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe, says they find the court order puzzling.
“What also puts a spanner in the works for us is that the report has already been distributed to parties, including the complainant and the president as the authority who should have to take action against the minister. That was before the Minister even approached the court, so this renders this whole exercise academic because the horse has bolted. In any event following the distribution of the report to the parties there were media reports, so it’s just academic,” says Segalwe.
