'Parliament has duty to hold inquiry into Public Protector'

It upheld a high court order that Busisiwe Mkhwebane be held personally liable for 15% of legal costs in a matter involving the Reserve Bank.  

The high court found that she was biased in her Bankorp findings and should personally pay some of the costs. 

In a scathing judgment, the highest court in the land found that Mkhwebane was not honest about some of the engagements during her investigation.

"We also find that the Public Protector omitted pertinent documents from the record. Some of which were only put up for the first time as annexes to her answering affidavit in the high court and others which were disclosed for the first time in this court," Justice Sisi Khampepe said. 

The DA believes Mkhwebane's failings go much deeper than simple technical errors and that she isn't fit to hold office.  

The party's chief whip John Steenhuisen says they'll be writing to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise to request a follow-up to a complaint they submitted a few months ago.

"We believe that Parliament now has a duty in light of this Constitutional Court judgment to expedite our request to have an enquiry into the fitness of Ms. Mkhwebane to continue in office as the Public Protector. Parliament determines the Public Protector's Act and the Constitution is now obliged to conduct a hearing into Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office.” 

Mkhwebane maintains she has not acted in bad faith and that she will study the judgment before deciding what to do next.

"Indeed, if this judgement is convincing or there are elements which then prove to them that I acted in bad faith - I know that I acted in good faith. It's very clear from all my documentation that this investigation was conducted purely based on that. I will study the judgment and I will respond comprehensively.”

Removal of public protector