The parliamentary inquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office has called in first expert witness to give testimony on how the public protector must be a fit and proper person.
The Public Protector must not put their personal interest above public interest or above the interest of the Office of the Public Protector, constitutional drafter Hassen Ebrahim told the Section 194 committee on Tuesday.
Ebrahim, who has decades of experience, gave a presentation on day two of the hearings on the founding values of the Constitution. Ebrahim, who was part of the Congress of Democratic South Africa (Codesa) negotiations and the Constitutional Assembly, which drafted the Constitution in the 1990s, was called in as the first witness to testify at suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s impeachment hearings.
On Monday, Mkhwebane’s defence gave opening statements where it argued that her suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa showed bias.
Ebrahim, having worked at Codesa, told Section 194 inquiry that it was critical that the Public Protector was defined as an organ of the State. The constitution expert said the office has extensive power of oversight.
Ebrahim said the position of Public Protector requires a fi person to hold the position.
“A fit and proper individual must demonstrate absolute personal integrity, scrupulous honesty, must always be reliable, must show good faith, must demonstrate proper knowledge of and regard for the law. Must not misstate facts, conceal the truth or make unsubstantiated allegations.”