Freedom Front Plus Chief Whip Corne Mulder and the suspended Public Protector’s legal representative, Dali Mpofu, had another disagreement in the Section 194 Committee.
This comes as Mulder questioned the witness Kholofelo Kekana about his impaired memory, making reference to Mpofu. The committee is investigating Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.
Mulder and other members of the committee had an opportunity to question and seek clarity from Kekana after Mpofu’s cross-examination of the witness on the second day of his testimony.
“During your cross-examination, Advocate Mpofu wanted the committee to believe that we should not give any value to your testimony because, as he put it, because of your impaired memory. Now your evidence in main was basically drawn on your affidavit which was up about three years ago. Am I correct if I say your memory must have been much better because three years ago when you drafted the affidavit it was much closer to the events? Secondly, most of the things you were questioned about happened more than five years ago and am I correct to say that probably most members of the committee as well as most members of the Bar won’t recollect what’s in e-mails of five years ago without having to go through them again and refresh your memory, Am I correct,” asked Mulder.
“Chair that would be correct,” says Kekana.
Meanwhile, Mpofu who was still on the virtual platform rose on a point and responded to Mulder saying the FF-Plus Chief Whip was misquoting him.
“I don’t think what Honourable Mulder is doing is correct, Chair, because I don’t want to interrupt the questioning but it’s completely valueless whether he agrees with the question that I put. So whether he agrees or disagrees with the question I put to him, but what’s more important is for me not to be misrepresented. I really don’t take kindly to what Honourable Mulder said that I said the witness should not be believed because of impaired memory. Now that’s a half-truth. It’s not even a half, it’s a third or less than a third. So if you are going to quote me, quote me fully and please do not misrepresent what I said,” said Mpofu.
VIDEO: Dismissed investigator for the Public Protector, Tebogo Kekana, taken to task at the Mkhwebane Inquiry
