Busisiwe Mkwebane abandons Section 194 inquiry after non-payment of her legal team
Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Monday she can’t continue to take part in the Section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office because her legal team has not been paid.
She said that the Office of the Public Protector, which is responsible for taking care of her legal costs in the inquiry and in related court cases, has not paid her legal team since December.
Mkhwebane said the issue of non-payment remains unresolved and her team will only continue once payment is made.
The inquiry continued its hearings on Monday morning to get more evidence from a witness.
Mkhwebane has told the inquiry that the outstanding balance of 30% is apparently made up of items “which are the subject of baseless disputes” raised by the Office of the Public Protector.
Before the evidence from Monday’s witness, the committee received a briefing from Mkhwebane on why she can’t participate.
She said outstanding payments had not been paid.
“So there were invoices for August and September which have been submitted either end of November or the beginning of December which were have not been paid,” explained Mkhwebane.
She said that the non-payment is having a financial impact on her legal team.
“Schools were opening. They have not been paid and unfortunately in South Africa, we have a challenge of the curse of the middle class – which I think we all know. People have bonds to pay, people have cars to pay.”
Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka told Parliament last week that the office is on the verge of bankruptcy and that the Section 194 inquiry was draining the institution’s budget.
-EWN
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