Cape Town - Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane took the witness stand on Wednesday morning at the inquiry into her fitness to hold public office.
This comes after the committee last week refused to grant Mkhwebane an extension to submit her affidavit on March 20, and then testify seven days later.
Mkhwebane is scheduled to give her evidence until March 31.
“From today it is going to be her opportunity to address South Africans and address this committee in her own testimony,” committee chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi said at the start of the proceedings.
Dyantyi indicated that MPs would have an opportunity to ask their questions.
Dyantyi noted that Mkhwebane’s statement was “very long” and urged that “we walk with the presentation of that. It might be very helpful.”
He also quipped that it was the moment Mkhwebane had been calling for after she said in an interview, “Wednesday is too far”.
Mkhwebane’s legal counsel advocate Dali Mpofu SC said an already submitted 225-page affidavit was the first instalment.
“We want to assure, though, that there will be two more instalments. They will be much shorter,” Mpofu said.
He gave an outline of the affidavits and how the evidence by Mkhwebane was structured.
Mpofu, however, said the period allocated for Mkhwebane to testify was “too short”.
“We are very much aggrieved about that.”
He said they would engage with the section 194 committee on the time allocated for her testimony, considering that a number of witnesses had testified over months and it was “completely unreasonable” to expect Mkhwebane to deal with their evidence in just two weeks.
“We will be engaging with you (Dyantyi) and evidence leaders to make sure that issue does not get ahead of us. We appeal to you to give this opportunity to the public protector.”
Mpofu told the committee that Mkhwebane was accused unfairly by a number of people for not wanting to give her side of the story or was running away when she raised legal issues.
“For the first time, she will have time to speak for herself. We welcome the opportunity,” he said.
When Mkhwebane took the stand, she thanked her family members, members of the public and staff at Public Protector South Africa for watching the proceedings.
“I am very excited that today I will have an opportunity to address the South African public and world at large,” she said.
Mkhwebane said she had not had peace in the six years and six months since she became the public protector.
She also said she had been trying since 2017 to get the attention of Parliament and make sure that lawmakers complied in doing things the right way.
“I am so excited to be here. It will be a wrong perception that I am delaying the process by taking matters to court,” Mkhwebane said in reference to the litigation she has instituted.
Cape Times