Public protector rubbishes Cope’s Kuruman claims
The public protector noted the political party's claims with disdain, and offered an explanation for her actions.
Public Protector Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane is seen during a press briefing held at her offices, 4 December 2017, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
The public protector’s office has hit back at claims that advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane defends herself at the cost of the people, as alleged by Cope.
Yesterday, the party took to Twitter to thread a statement in which they alleged that Mkhwebane was closing down the public protector’s office in Kuruman in the Northern Cape “because she has had to scrape for money to pay for her recent ConCourt appeal against a personal cost order in the CIEX report on the Absa matter”.
Cope went on to note how the office had served the area for more than 30 years.
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“According to highly placed sources, #KurumanOffice is one of the few to be closed to ostensibly save money. These savings will then be used to cover some of the legal costs associated with the recent ill-advised litigation to appeal the personal cost orders against @AdvBMkhwebane,” added Cope.
A statement issued by the public protector’s office dubbed Cope’s claims “unfounded”, and stated that the office was merely being relocated due to “unprecedented levels of underutilisation.”
“The number of complaints lodged at that office are the lowest across all of the public protector’s 19 offices. On average, it receives a paltry five complaints a month from the local community an neighboring areas. Its current caseload is 43,” read the statement.
The statement also explained that the area will now have a mobile service, while the office’s staff will now be moved to areas in need of extra hands.
“The Kuruman office is not the only centre that is being moved. In Limpopo and for the same reasons as in Kuruman, Adv. Mkhwebane has decided to move the Musina regional office to Tohoyandou,” added the statement.
Read the full statement below:
— Public Protector SA (@PublicProtector) December 11, 2018
— Public Protector SA (@PublicProtector) December 11, 2018
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