Probe into fitness of PP draws closer
PARLIAMENT is moving closer to a formal inquiry into Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.
The Committee for Section 194 will today hold its first meeting since its reconstituted membership was announced in June.
According to the parliamentary schedule of meetings, the committee will elect a chairperson.
It is also expected that it will discuss its programmes on how to handle the impeachment proceedings.
The committee meets at a time when the Western Cape High Court has yet to deliver judgments on two applications brought by Mkhwebane and civil society group Democracy in Action (DIA).
In the separate applications heard early last month, Mkhwebane and DIA want the rules to impeach her to be found to be unlawful, unconstitutional, and null and void, among others.
Despite the judgments being reserved, National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise on June 21 proceeded to announce the reconstituted committee.
This after other parties heeded the call to submit names of 10 more members to serve on the parliamentary committee.
This was after only four had met an earlier deadline.
Modise had decided to increase the number of members that would serve on the committee from 26 to 36 after UDM leader Bantu Holomisa requested that all parties have equal voting status.
In terms of the committee’s composition, all political parties represented in Parliament will serve on the committee.
The ATM declined inclusion. Modise has since referred relevant documents to the committee for its consideration.
One document was the report and recommendations of an independent panel that conducted a preliminary assessment to determine whether there was prima facie evidence to show that Mkhwebane was guilty of misconduct or was incompetent.
The panel – consisting of Justice Bess Nkabinde as chairperson and advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza and advocate Johan de Waal – found that Mkhwebane had a case to answer.
On March 16 the motion initiated by the DA last year was supported by 275 MPs while 40 members objected.