Suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has spent more than R146-million in legal bills since she assumed office in 2016, the Section 194 Committee heard on Thursday.
When the committee resumed after a two-week break, evidence leader advocate Nazreen Bawa revealed a list of court judgments against the office of the public protector.
Mkhwebane is facing criticism that certain amounts spent by her office in relation to legal costs amounted to “fruitless and wasteful expenditure”.
In summary, according to Bawa’s list, the office has been involved in 72 review applications and 27 appeal applications. The committee heard that there are also 10 matters that were initiated by the office under Mkhwebane which included her applications to stop the impeachment process and her suspension.
According to Bawa, 37 of Mkhwebane’s reports have been set aside and there are 47 pending before the high courts.
Bawa also shared that the controversial Absa/CIEX review involved six law firms, and cost the public protector’s office over R14-million, while the matter of the DA/Casac cost more than R5-million.
Mkhwebane’s legal counsel, advocate Dali Mpofu, argued that the revelation of the figures amounts to an invasion of privacy. “Flighting numbers like this can only be directed at the appetite of those who just want sensationalism,” said Mpofu.
“There seems to be some zeal to invade people’s financial and personal issues. It’s wrong, for two reasons, apart from sensationalism, there is no value to be derived for this committee. The second thing is that this entire thing is actually unwarranted.”
Deriding Mpofu’s argument, ANC MP Xola Nqola said: “In my view, chair, there’s nothing private about public funds that were used in the advancement of the obligations that are placed on the public protector’s office.”
The inquiry continues…
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