DA welcomes Speaker’s announcement that our motion for removal of Public Protector is accepted

26 February 2002

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the decision by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise, to accept our fresh motion for the initiation of removal proceedings against the Public Protector, Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

The DA initially submitted a motion initiating removal proceedings against Mkhwebane in December 2019. Since then, new evidence has come to light that strengthens our case.

The DA believes that it is of the utmost importance and in the interests of justice and the rule of law that the position of Public Protector is filled by a person who is indisputably fit and proper. Mkhwebane, as demonstrated by the particulars set out in the annexure to our motion (see here), is in our view guilty of misconduct and/or incompetence on several charges including the SARB and Estina Dairy Farm investigations.

To put the best possible case before the independent panel that will evaluate whether or not grounds for removal exist, we submitted a fresh motion last week, and we are happy that the process continues without delay.

The DA will put forward candidates for the independent panel forthwith.

We hope that South Africans may soon be rid of a seemingly politically captured Public Protector, who have not done her high office, or the South Africans she is meant to serve, any justice.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, 26 February 2020