Mkhwebane’s close connection to SSA ‘extremely’ problematic – analyst

The Section 194 inquiry into suspended public protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office, yesterday reflected critically on the hearings so far and decided to enforce its directives more strongly.

In order to provide Mkhwebane and her legal team time to prepare for a court hearing next week, the committee agreed the testimony of witnesses would resume next week Wednesday.

The lack of regard for witnesses by some participants of the process was questioned, as well as the time taken up by the questioning of witnesses.

Political analyst Andre Duvenhage said he had no doubt Mkhwebane was politically aligned, which was unbecoming for an Chapter 9 institution’s head and it was quite clear she had made politically motivated decisions.

Duvenhage said Mkhwebane’s close connection to the State Security Agency (SSA) was “extremely” problematic. There were allegations that the SSA had instructed her to amend the constitutional mandate of the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb).

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Duvenhage warned an overheated political environment caused the present process to be heavily politically influenced.

“The outcome could be more political than judicial,” he said.

Mkhwebane’s legal counsel, advocate Dali Mpofu, had twice on Tuesday been asked to mind his language when cross-examining witnesses. Duvenhage said this was the matter the chair of the committee needed to look into. He said Mpofu followed the EFF strategy of intimidating witnesses.

Political analyst Levy Ndou noted if the evidence against Mkhwebane was to be accurate, it would mean a lot of “wrongs” took place in the public protector’s office.

“It placed the office of the public protector in a bad light and we truly did not a public protector in this country,” he said.

Committee chair Qubudile Dyantyi also addressed the claims of “double jeopardy”, which were made several times by Mkhwebane’s counsel. But he said she was not at risk because the hearings were not criminal, civil or judicial proceedings.