The Committee for Section 194 Enquiry into Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s Fitness to Hold Office believes that Advocate Thuli Madonsela must come before it to answer questions.
MADONSELA, ACCORDING TO THE SECTION 194 INQUIRY COMMITTEE, MUST TESTIFY
The Section 194 Committee reiterated its decision to call former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, which it made last week after she denied the request in writing.
“According to the chairman of the committee, Mr. Qubudile Dyantyi, the committee decided last week that Ms. Madonsela’s involvement in some of the investigations before the committee could bring value to the process.
“He further stated that the decision was based on Adv Mkhwebane’s request, which he made to Adv Madonsela in November of last year,” the statement continued.
PROCESS OF SUMMONING TO CONTINUE
Madonsela stated in her letter that she does not see a rational relationship between the majority of the issues Mkhwebane’s team intends to present to her and the inquiry, which derives from court rulings about Mkhwebane’s integrity, honesty, and professional competence.
“Having left the institution more than six years ago, the institution is best suited to respond to questions regarding its relationship with organs of state in accordance with its constitutional position as an independent constitutional institution designed to hold other organs of state accountable, including the State Security Agency,” Madonsela wrote in her letter.
The former PP claimed that the requested information remains in the Public Protector’s Office and noted that she did not take any records or emails with her when she left office.
According to Dyanti, the Committee believed that Madonsela might still contribute to the Committee’s work, particularly in regards to problems relating to the delay of some of the most important investigations.
The process of summoning will continue.
The investigation’s hearing will resume on February 13. The Committee was constituted by the National Assembly on 16 March 2021 to investigate Mkhwebane’s constitutional eligibility for office.
»Committee demanded Madonsela testify in the Public Protector affair«