The EFF has slammed chairperson of the Section 194 Inquiry into the fitness to hold office of the suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
Last week, Mkhwebane’s legal team walked out of the hearings and the public protector was given only three days to find a replacement.
On Tuesday, the hearing resumed proceedings with Mkhwebane having not been able to find herself a new legal team to represent her.
EFF condemned the resumption of the hearing as illegally and factionally done as it infringed on Mkhwebane’s right to be legally represented.
“The EFF condemns the compromised and factional decision by the chairperson of of the Section 194 Inquiry Richard Dyantyi, to proceed with the inquiry while the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane does not have legal representation present in the committee,” the EFF said.
The party said the chairperson had chosen to continue with the hearing without having given Mkhwebane enough time to prepare herself following the walkout by her previous legal team headed by advocate Dali Mpofu.
The party further accused the chairperson of orchestrating an ambush on Mkhwebane.
“Dyantyi is essentially orchestrating an ambush on the public protector and has undermined her and all her natural laws of justice. He proceeded to institute a sitting of the committee, with short notice and without any due consideration of the other work-related commitments of the counsel of the public protector. This ad-hoc scheduling committee meetings of the counsel is typical of how Dyantyi conducts himself in the committee, as if it is his kitchen where he is accountable to no one, not even the Constitution of South Africa,” said the EFF.
On Tuesday, the Committee for Section 194 Enquiry into Public Protector (PP) advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office heard evidence from Mr Cornelius (Neels) van der Merwe, senior manager: legal services in the Office of the Public Protector.
On Friday, in a statement, the committee said it had agreed to give the PP only three days instead of 10 days to find a replacement.
This has been seen by the EFF and other sympathisers to Mkhwebane as a deliberate attempt to frustrate her.
“The Committee for Section 194 Enquiry into Public Protector (PP) Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office today resolved to grant Adv Mkwebane three days instead of 10 to prepare for her legal presentations. The hearings will resume on Tuesday next week,” the committee said.
Attempts to get comment from the committee on the accusations levelled against it by the EFF proved unsuccessful at the time of going to print.