Chairperson for Section 194 Committee Committee commends fair, unbiased, transparent process
23 August 2023
The Chairperson for the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry into Public Protector (PP) Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office commended the committee for the unbiased and transparent way it conducted its business.
The committee yesterday adopted its final report some 14 months after commencing hearings, in which it recommended to the National Assembly (NA) that Adv Mkhwebane be removed, based on numerous findings of serious misconduct and incompetence. Committee Chairperson Mr Qubudile Dyantyi said this recommendation was solely based on conclusive evidence put before the committee.
“Members worked diligently, without any fear or favour and without any preconceived outcome in mind with just the evidence placed before it to reach a conclusion,” Mr Dyantyi said.
Earlier this month, the committee deliberated on all the charges in the motion before it. The charges included allegations of misconduct with respect to a report involving the South African Reserve Bank and ABSA Bank; misconduct in the investigation and reporting of the Vrede Dairy Project; incompetence during both of those investigations and in a report about the former Financial Services Board; allegations of misconduct in relation to the alleged intimidation, harassment and/or victimisation of staff at the Office of the Public Protector of South Africa; matters related to the expenditure of public funds on legal costs; the failure to conduct investigations in an independent or impartial manner; and deliberately seeking to make adverse findings against certain public officials while not making findings or directing remedial action in respect of others.