Public Protector 'shocked' over Ciex Report ruling
The Pretoria high court set aside Busisiwe Mkhwebane's report into the Bankorp bailout on Friday.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she is 'shocked' by the high court's decision to set aside her report into an apartheid-era bailout of Absa's predecessor, Bankorp.
Her report - commonly referred to as the Ciex Report - found government and the Reserve Bank failed to recover the "illegal gift" to Bankorp which prejudiced the South African public.
She ordered Absa to pay back the money given to its predecessor and instructed parliament to amend the Reserve Bank's mandate.
Both banks challenged her report in court.
On Friday, the high court set aside the report and awarded both applicants costs.
Mkhwebane has also been ordered to pay 15% of the total costs out of her own pocket.
While her office was unable to elaborate on Mkhwebane's "shock", her spokesperson Cleopatra Mosana says it might have something to do with the personal cost order.
But she adds Mkhwebane attended President Cyril Ramaphosa's inaugural State of the Nation Address on Friday, and will only be able to elaborate at a later stage.
The Public Protector will now study the contents of the judgement before deciding on a way forward.