The Parliamentary Committee, probing the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office, will meet on Friday.
The committee will consider her application for the chairperson of the Committee Qubudile Dyantyi and Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Kevin Mileham to recuse themselves.
Mkhwebane’s legal representative Dali Mpofu argued that there were 12 points for Dyantyi’s recusal.
These included alleged bias against the Public Protector, the refusal to subpoena President Cyril Ramapahosa to testify, a decision that the committee made after receiving legal counsel.
Witnesses were set to appear before the committee but this has been postponed.
Dyantyi says, “This in-committee meeting of ours, that has been approved for us. We are going to have to utilise that day which is Friday because we don’t want to delay making a decision on these matters. It will not be fair to the process to how we want to run and speed up processes in this regard so we will have that meeting, that committee meeting that will attend to all of these issues.”
Vendetta
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) leader, Vuyolwethu Zungula says there’s a personal vendetta against Mkhwebane.
The ATM is one of three opposition political parties that want to see Mkhwebane back in her office.
“This has got nothing to do with the competence of the Public Protector, but it is a personal vendetta, personal hatred against Advocate Mkhwebane. If you look at the performance of the office of the Public Protector under the leadership of advocate Mkhwebane, firstly, she’s the very first Public Protector to get three-straight clean audits, even the presidency, and other departments failed to get clean audits. Secondly, she’s completed more reports than any other Public Protector,” says Zungula.
Application
Last week, Mkhwebane, opposed the application of Acting Public Protector, Kholeka Gcaleka, to intervene in her application to go back to work.
Last Friday, the Western Cape High Court heard an urgent application for the court to enforce its judgment which was delivered earlier this month setting aside Mkhwebane’s suspension.
Representing Mkhwebane, Advocate Dali Mpofu said the acting Public Protector is conflicted in that she will cease to act in the position, if Mkhwebane returns.
Gcaleka applied to intervene in the case to submit true facts about the office of the Public Protector, after alleged inaccuracies by Mkhwebane.
Gcaleka’s legal representative Timothy Bruinders, said the Acting Public Protector has a direct and substantial interest in the matter and should be allowed to intervene.
VIDEO: Western Cape High Court hears Public Protector’s urgent application: 16 September 2022
