Parliamentary committee on Public Protector calls for evidence

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane. Picture: African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane. Picture: African News Agency (ANA) Archives

Published May 13, 2022

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Cape Town - The parliamentary committee conducting the impeachment of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has called for people with evidence to furnish it to the committee by June 3.

The committee said individuals or organisations could table the evidence.

The request by the committee came after it agreed to go ahead with the inquiry into Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office after the Constitutional Court rejected her rescission application.

Parliament’s legal advisers said the institution was within its legal rights to proceed with the inquiry.

Mkhwebane has filed an interdict application in the Western Cape High Court and the hearing will be on May 18 and 19.

It was postponed last month after an SMS sent to counsel for Parliament related to the rescission application.

Chief Justice Raymond Zondo is investigating the SMS matter.

Mkhwebane had said the committee couldn’t go ahead with the Section 194 inquiry as there were still investigations into the SMA by the police and Justice Zondo.

In addition, there were court applications that still had to be heard.

But legal advisers for Parliament said the committee had a right to proceed with the inquiry.

“The objective of the inquiry is to assess the charges contained in the motion in order to determine whether Adv Mkhwebane is incompetent and/or has misconducted herself and report to the (National Assembly) on its findings and recommendations,” said MP Qubudile Dyantyi, of the committee

The committee has planned to conduct hearings in July and complete the process and by September.

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