A parliamentary meeting to consider public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s submission as to why she should not be removed from office was postponed on Wednesday morning.
The National Assembly’s justice and correctional service committee met briefly but could not continue with its agenda because the ANC had removed the committee’s longstanding chair, Mathole Motshekga.
Vincent Smith, who was appointed the committee’s new chair, requested that he get time to familiarise himself with the committee’s business, including the item on Wednesday’s agenda — the DA’s request for parliament to expedite the procedure to remove Mkhwebane from office.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen lodged a complaint with National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete requesting that the National Assembly initiate procedures to remove Mkhwebane from office. This followed a high court judgment that she had grossly overreached her powers‚ shown poor understanding of the law and her own powers, and sacrificed her independence and impartiality with regards to the Absa-Bankorp report.
When Steenhuisen appeared before the committee in June‚ he argued that sufficient grounds existed to‚ at the very least‚ warrant an inquiry into Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.
In her response‚ Mkhwebane warned parliament against instituting a process to have her removed from office‚ saying threats to dismiss her on the basis of what is reflected in her reports constituted interference with the functioning of her office and were tantamount to a criminal offence punishable in terms of the law.
Motshekga clashed with his ANC colleagues in the justice and correctional service committee over whether parliament should consider the DA’s call to start proceedings to removeMkhwebane from office.
He also clashed with several civil society organisations over the controversial Traditional Courts Bill.
His removal was announced in parliamentary papers on Wednesday morning. Motshekga will be deployed to parliament’s joint standing committee on financial management.
Other changes to committee membership include the discharge of former Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo from the co-operative governance and traditional affairs committee.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.