The high-profile scalps Mkhwebane is targeting

From the president down, the public protector is continuing to go in guns blazing.

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Recently Public Protector (PP) Busisiwe Mkhwebane has locked horns with several high-profile people associated with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

PP vs Pravin Gordhan: She said Public Enterprises Minister Gordhan illegally authorised an early pension payout for former deputy SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Ivan Pillay for running the Sars “rogue unit” and had not followed Sars procurement rules to buy equipment used for spying.

Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan leaves the Commission of Inquiry Into State Capture held in Parktown, Johannesburg, 19 November 2018, following his day’s testimony. Picture: Refilwe Modise

PP vs Ramaphosa: On July 19, Mkhwebane ruled that Ramaphosa violated the constitution and the executive ethics code when he misled lawmakers about a R500,000 campaign donation from Bosasa, which has been implicated in bribing senior government officials.

President Cyril Ramaphosa delivering the keynote address at the inaugural 4th Industrial Revolution SA Digital Economy Summit in Midrand on Friday (Pics supplied: GCIS)

PP vs National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise: She accused Modise of violating the constitution by not protecting her from parliamentarians’ attacks.

New National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise. File Photo: Phando/Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)

PP vs Estina Dairy Farm project report: The public protector announced she would appeal a high court judgment regarding her investigation into the project in the Free State.
PP vs Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter: The public protector’s office is investigating the appointment of Kieswetter as the head of Sars. He is allegedly a friend of Trevor Manuel, who chaired the panel that interviewed candidates for the post.