Mkhwebane: Oksalayo, there is evidence supporting our findings

The public protector claimed one did not need to prepare a solid case against her anymore, saying just showing up was enough to win.

Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane can be seen during the release of her reports at the Public Protector’s offices in Pretoria, 28 January 2020. Picture: Jacques Nelles

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane claims there is a concerted effort to render her useless as the public protector of South Africa.

The public protector claimed one did not need to prepare a solid case against her anymore, saying just showing up was enough to win.

She said there was evidence supporting her office’s findings, despite the courts’ ruling against her today.

“@AdvDali_Mpofu once said whoever is litigating against PP need not prepare a solid case but must just show up and win. It is a concerted effort to render PPSA useless just to deal with me. Oksalayo there is evidence supporting our findings.History has not blanks. @PublicProtector,” said Mkhwebane on her official Twitter account.

@AdvDali_Mpofu once said whoever is litigating against PP need not prepare a solid case but must just show up and win. It is a concerted effort to render PPSA useless just to deal with me. Oksalayo there is evidence supporting our findings.History has not blanks.@PublicProtector

— Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane (@AdvBMkhwebane) December 7, 2020

Mkhwebane suffered yet another blow on Monday when the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria set aside her report into the so-called Sars rogue unit.

In its ruling on Monday, the High Court found that Mkhwebane’s claims were not supported by the established facts that were placed before her, and “is fundamentally wrong in law”.

Former Public Protector of SA chief operating officer (COO) Basani Baloyi also received the go-ahead from the Constitutional Court for her case against the public protector to be heard anew.

This, after she successfully challenged a High Court ruling on the basis that it did not have jurisdiction to hear her “labour matter”.

In a unanimous judgment penned by Justice Leona Theron, the Constitutional Court found that the High Court erred in dismissing Baloyi’s case because it was “essentially a labour dispute”.

The ruling allows Baloyi to proceed with her case afresh, either at the High Court or the Labour Court.

Mkhwebane has been trending on social media, receiving words of support from those who have accused the judiciary of being biased against her, while others are calling on her to step down.

But Mkhwebane has previously said she will not step down, despite attempts to remove her from her office.

“You have had serious comments by very high-profile people like ministers commenting about this public protector, so they will try everything they can. It is their strategy to make sure they are dealing with this person. Possibly until such time that I resign, because it is difficult to remove. But I will not resign,” she been quoted as saying.

ALSO READ: Another blow for Mkhwebane as High Court sets aside rogue unit report

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