Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane also took exception to judgments that set aside her reports saying things often get ‘blown out of proportion’ since she became Public Protector.
Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane appears before the Section 194 inquiry committee on 30 March 2023. Picture: YouTube
JOHANNESBURG – Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has taken a swipe at judges, accusing them of “sensationalising”.
On Friday, she gave more oral evidence at the Section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office.
Mkhwebane also took exception to judgments that set aside her reports, saying things often get “blown out of proportion” since she became Public Protector.
She also continued her evidence in relation to the Gauteng High Court’s judgment setting aside the so-called Sars rogue unit report implicating Minister Pravin Gordhan.
The court said Mkhwebane owed Judge Sulet Potterill an apology for “personal attacks” when she disagreed with the judge’s interpretation of the Executive Ethics Code.
Mkhwebane further accused judges of sensationalising issues related to her.
“And it’s so unfortunate that a lot of lawyers and possibly judges they read because they should be reporting about cases and whatever. Is it necessary for them then to as well sensationalise?”
Mkhwebane said her critics took issue with everything she did.
“I could pick up that whatever I do is just actually blown out of proportion.”
Mkhwebane defended her rogue-unit report, saying Sars had refused to provide documentation about the purchasing of equipment, which led her to infer that it was illegally acquired.
