Suspended Public Protector Busiswe Mkhwebane’s much anticipated parliamentary impeachment has begun. Parliament will embark on a historic exercise this week; it will start hearing evidence in its first ever impeachment inquiry.
The hearing signals the start of the inquiry which has been delayed by legal action.
The Section 194 committee conducting the inquiry, wasted no time and scheduled its first day of hearings following the withdrawal of Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s appeal by the acting public protector Kholeka Gcaleka.
The Public Protector said although the office will not fund Mkhwebane’s appeal against her suspension and her Consistutional Court rescission applications, it will fund her defence during the impeachment proceedings.
Mkhwebane’s legal representative advocate Dali Mpofu told the Section 194 committee that that the suspended public protector is participating in her impeachment hearings “under protest”. Mpofu said they are appearing under protest because there have been several constitutional violations.
He added that Mkhwebane made it clear that she wanted to assure the nation that she can do her job. Her long persistent court challenges to the process were described as the Stalingrad defence, but Mpofu argued that this term was used by people who “hate the constitution.
Mpofu said “That’s a very strange accusation. Every time she has raised concerns about this process, she has been proven right”. Several court rulings would suggest otherwise.
On Tuesday, constitutional expert Hassen Ebrahim will provide specialist testimony to outline the role of the Office of the Public Protector within the parameters of the Constitution and South African legislation.
Source: Polity, Eyewitness News, News24, ENCA, image from Eyewitness News: Sethembiso Zulu