Mkhwebane to know on March 16 if process on her removal proceeds

PUBLIC Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane will know in about two weeks’ time if the National Assembly will proceed with the parliamentary process to remove her from office.

The National Assembly programme committee yesterday agreed on March 16 as the date to consider the report of the three-member panel that found she had a case to answer on allegations of misconduct and incompetence.

Last week the panel submitted its report to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise, who made it public on Monday.

The panel was mandated to conduct a preliminary assessment of the allegations against Mkhwebane within 30 days, but it asked for an extension, which was granted by Modise.

Briefing the programme committee, secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso said the rules stated that the report should be placed before the House for consideration with due urgency. “The next step is now for the House to consider the panel’s report. If the House agrees with the report, it will be referred to a committee of the National Assembly,” Xaso said.

ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina proposed March 16 for the tabling of the report before the House for noting, before it went into the constituency period.

Modise said the presiding officers did not have a problem with the proposed date.

But ACDP MP Steve Swart said his understanding was that the report should come first for consideration of whether or not they proceed with the appointment of the committee to conduct the inquiry into Mkhwebane.

“I would think that would be the logical step,” Swart said.

NFP MP Munzoor Shaik-Emam agreed that the report should come for debate and a decision on whether it should be referred to a committee.

“I think that the size (of the committee) must be taken into consideration, particularly the representation of the small parties,” he said.

Majodina agreed that the report be tabled for noting and then referred to a multiparty committee.

“Starting to debate without subjecting it to a committee that is going to do the inquiry might be dangerous for Parliament, because we will be debating something that is not fully processed,” she said.

EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi said Parliament needed to find its feet on how to deal with the matter. “There is no need for us to rush the proposal from the ANC. Let us satisfy ourselves and get a report next week on the process to be followed,” Mkhaliphi said.

She said once they received a report on the process, the date for consideration of the panel’s decision could be determined.

DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone said it would be in Parliament’s interest to have a senior counsel to advise on the correct process to be followed.