Panel gets more time to appraise Mkhwebane

National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise has acceded to a request to extend a parliamentary inquiry into the fitness of public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to hold office due to “voluminous evidence” that needs to be assessed.

On November 25, Modise announced the appointment of a high-powered panel chaired by retired Constitutional Court judge Bess Nkabinde, and including advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza and academic Johan deWaal to assess whether there is a prima facie case to justify an inquiry into Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.

Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said that the panel held its first meeting on December 2, after which it made a submission to Modise asking that the 30-day period to conduct the inquiry be extended.

This is premised on the fact that the evidence to be assessed is voluminous and the need to provide the public protector with a reasonable period, among other things,” Mothapo said.

He said the panel had asked the speaker to extend its timeframe to 90 days, effective from November 25.

NECESSARY TIME’

Mothapo said the speaker was of the view that the panel’s request was reasonable.

“It is imperative that the panel is afforded the necessary time required to carefully study the motion and evidence and, as part of its deliberation, also afford the public protector a reasonable period to make submissions.”

Mkhwebane is facing a credibility crisis after numerous adverse findings against her in court.

She has been dogged by questions over her impartiality and allegations that she is at the heart of factional battles in the ANC.

The SA Communist Party, part of the tripartite alliance with the ANC and labour federation Cosatu, has characterised her as a hired gun of the fight-back agenda” against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration.

On November 30, the high court in the Western Cape dismissed Mkhwebane’s application for leave to appeal against the judgment that rejected her bid to interdict parliament ’ s impeachment process against her.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE PANEL IS AFFORDED THE NECESSARY TIME REQUIRED TO CAREFULLY STUDY THE MOTION

Moloto Mothapo Parliamentary spokesperson