CASAC seeks personal costs order against Public Protector
25 April 2018
CASAC is a seeking a punitive personal costs order against Public Protector, Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane, in its application to review and set aside the Report on the Vrede Dairy Farm.
Following receipt of the record of decision (The Rule 53 Record) from Adv Mkhwebane it is clear that she had deliberately curtailed the investigation and acted in a manner inconsistent with the demands of an independent office. In its supplementary affidavit, CASAC’s Executive Secretary, Lawson Naidoo highlights the following aspects revealed by the Rule 53 Record:
- A National Treasury Report which had previously not been made public pointed to the active involvement of senior politicians, former Premier Ace Magashule and former MEC for Agriculture, Mr Mosebenzi Zwane, in facilitating the unlawful project, and recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the head of the Department of Agriculture, Mr Peter Thabethe and its CFO, Ms Dlhamini – no such action has been taken;
- The Final Report on the ‘Vrede Integrated Dairy Project’ released by Adv Mkhwebane on 8 February 2018 made no reference to a Provisional Report having been prepared as is the custom in such investigations by the Public Protector. However the Record now shows that such a Provisional Report was concluded by former Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela. Of particular concern is that it now appears that Adv Mkhwebane altered that Provisional Report in material ways to exonerate the officials named above. In the Provisional Report, Adv Madonsela found that: