Time is running out for Mkhwebane

Want to offend an advocate? Ask them if they have trouble reading or understanding a basic request.

That’s exactly what suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane was asked by evidence leaders in the Section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office, after their patience with her shrivelled thin.

Mkhwebane has already missed two deadlines to notify the committee about whether she would respond to questions in writing, or verbally.

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She now has until 6 July to answer a list of more than 630 questions and statements. These include over 50 pages of questions from members of parliament related to investigations linked to her impeachment inquiry.

Two notable questions needing answered is why she employed the services of an unregistered advocate for legal advice, and why she needed a political advisor?

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Evidence leaders Nazreen Bawa and Ncumisa Mayosi didn’t mince their words, asking Mkhwebane to respond to the following statement: “A public protector requires a core element of competence; including a basic ability to read and understand statutes, especially those that bestow powers on the public protector.”

If Mkhwebane fails to answer these by the deadline, the committee will consider all the evidence before they decide if she is guilty of misconduct or incompetence warranting her removal.

The ball is in her court.

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