Madonsela questions relevance of appearing before Section 194 inquiry

Former Public Protector Professor Thuli Madonsela says she does not see the relevance of the request for her to appear before the Section 194 inquiry probing Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.

Madonsela is one of the witnesses sought by Mkhwebane and who the committee has agreed to call.

The committee also insists that Madonsela’s evidence will assist it with regard matters such as the CIEX and Vrede Dairy reports.

In a letter replying to the invitation, Madonsela says she does not see the rational connection of the majority of the Public Protector’s questions and the inquiry.

Madonsela says the information sought by Mkhwebane is with the office of the Public Protector.

She says she would have given Mkhwebane all the relevant information but had been stopped from doing so.

The letter was read by Parliamentary legal advisor Advocate Fatima Ebrahim.

“With matters still fresh in my head, Advocate Mkhwebane would have had an opportunity to ask me institutional management questions not in mine or staff reports had she not suddenly refused to meet me the week following my leaving office, despite the two of us having agreed during our handover meeting at my office on 14 October 2016, that we would continue our meeting and briefing the following week. The following week, she suddenly insisted that as I was no longer in office such was inappropriate to meet to augment my briefing with her and that I should have done this earlier.”

Video: Section 194 Inquiry | Thuli Madonsela set to be subpoenaed