SCA dismisses Mkhwebane’s Vrede appeal bid
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has been dealt yet another legal blow – this time by the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.
The court has dismissed her application for leave to appeal a judgment against her in the Vrede Dairy Farm matter.
Mkhwebane's report into the Gupta-linked project was previously set aside as unconstitutional by the High Court in Pretoria.
The court also ordered her to pay a portion of the legal costs.
The Council for the Promotion of the South African Constitution’s (Casac) Lawson Naidoo says the SCA’s ruling shows the futility of Mkhwebane’s legal challenges.
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“This was an application by the public protector for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal against the Pretoria High Court Judgement in the Vrede Dairy Farm case which set aside the public protector’s report on the basis that it was irrational.
“The court also ordered the public protector to pay a portion of the costs in her personal capacity in both the applicants Casac as well as the Democratic Alliance.”
Earlier this year, the Pretoria High Court ruled in favour of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Casac and found that Mkhwebane had to reopen an investigation into the controversial Estina Dairy project in the Free State.