PHUTI MOSOMANE
Suspended Public Protector Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane told Parliament’s Section 194 Enquiry that the charges before the committee are a witch hunt motived by an “unholy alliance”.
Mkhwebane read out some parts of her affidavit on Wednesday in which she accused both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) of joining forces in order to remove her and hereby stopping her from investigating them.
She said the whole process is a vanity “special project” of the DA aimed at scoring political points as the first party to have ever caused a head of the Chapter 9 Institution to face impeachment proceedings.
“This process has nothing to do with accountability, and it has nothing to do with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa or the Rule of law,” she said.
She said the process is as far removed from the Constitution as the South is from the North and it is a politically motivated witch-hunt masquerading as a bona fide enquiry under the auspices of Section 194 of the Constitution.
According to her it is a racially motivated campaign borne out of the fear of real change which might actually benefit the poorest and most marginalised members of the public who are in the main black at the expense of those who benefit the most from an untransformed economic status quo, who are in the main white and the backbone constituency of the DA.
She went on to say that in its efforts to get rid of her for doing her work as prescribed by the Constitution, the DA is abetted by the ANC which is driven by separate motives of retaliation and revenge for having exposed corruption.
She made reference to the investigations into President Cyril Ramaphosa, CR17/Bosasa, and Minister Pravin Gordhan regarding his role in the South African Revenue Service Investigation Unit.
Mkhwebane told the committee that she has to face charges, yet she never brought the country to this point where there is no electricity causing people to die in hospitals and the economy to suffer.
She explained how she was shocked by her suspension from duty by President Ramaphosa and called it a vengeful, retaliatory and illegal act.
“Sometimes someone must be a sacrificial lamb, referring to the process and the court challenges,” Mkhwebane said.
Her legal representative Adv. Dali Mpofu complained about the time provided for Adv Mkhwebane to relay her version to the charges she is facing.
The committee set 15 March to 31 March 2023 aside for Mkhwebane’s testimony.
Adv Mpofu said the period allocated is “too short” and added that he was aggrieved by this.
According to him Adv Mkhwebane has been unfairly accused of “running away” and being unwilling to testify.
“If you are minded to give us until December, we are going to use it,” said Adv Mpofu.
At the close of the hearings, Adv Mpofu said that he is finished sketching the landscape as obtained in part one of Adv Mkhwebane’s 225-page affidavit – which included her educational background and work experience.
At the start of the hearings Committee Chairperson Mr Qubudile Dyantyi said the section 194 committee is about to hear from Adv Mkhwebane, who will have the opportunity to address South Africa in her own testimony.
The hearings is continuing today with testimony of Adv Mkhwebane.
The committee was established on 16 March 2021 to conduct a constitutional inquiry into the Public Protector’s fitness to hold office and is expected to conclude its work by the end of April 2023.
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