Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane Runs Up R147 Million Legal Bill

• The Section 194 impeachment inquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebane heard that Mkhwebane has run up a legal bill of R147m
• The amount ranges from the cost of commissioning legal opinions to the cost of appealing applications
• Mkhwebane's own appeal to her impeachment and the rules of the inquiry has tallied to R15 million so far

CAPE TOWN - Busisiwe Mkhwebane has racked up an impressive R147 million legal bill since she came into office in 2016.

The amount was revealed at the suspended Public Protectors impeachment inquiry in Parliament on Thursday, 8 September.

According to the Daily Maverick, the Section 194 impeachment inquiry into Busisiwe Mkhwebanes's fitness to hold office resumed after an almost two-week break on Thursday with a summary of her office's legal expenses .

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The figure included the cost of over 72 review applications and 27 appeal applications. Evidence leader, advocate Nazreen Bawa highlighted that the Public Protector's Office spent almost R14 million on the disputed ABSA/CIEX review.

During earlier days of the inquiry, the committee learned that Mkhwebane had appointed Paul Ngobeni as an adviser.  According to evidence  Ngobeni was paid R96,000 to deliver a legal analysis to Mkhwebane regarding her probe of the "CR17" campaign.

Mkhwebane's appeals to her impeachment and the inquiry's guidelines total R15 million.

Advocate Dali Mphofu, Mkhwebane's legal counsel objected to the disclosure of Mkhwebanes legal bills stating it is an infringement on her right to privacy EWN reported.

Mphofu said:

"Flighting numbers like this can only be directed at the appetite of those who just want sensationalism."

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Mzansi reacts to Mkwebane's exobertant legal bill

Though some South Africans feel the legal fees of the Public Protectors office are astronomical under Mkhwebane, others noted that a clean audit from the AG means that no funds where misappropriated.

@Lloyd_Mchunu commented:

"Incredible‍♂️"

@sakhi_dlamini added:

"And the AG gives them clean audits for 3 consecutive years. They should push it up to R200M. Well done office of the PP. "

@Eagle66017981 asked:

"How can she get a clean/unqualified audit report from the Auditor General ? Her performance audit report ( fruitless & wasteful expenditure) should sink her. Why must her reports always be defended in court at such astronomical cost? Did the AG audit her legal costs?"

@SebinTdr said:

"And we expect to have money for service delivery and relief from economic hardships?"

Public Protector impeachment: Busisiwe Mkwebane’s strange workplace demands left Mzansi angered

In a related matter, Briefly News previously reported that more claims about suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's outlandish authoritarian leadership style emerged. The Section 194 committee heard explosive allegations regarding Mkhwebane's unusual behaviour on Monday, 22 August.

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Former Public Protector Chief Operating Officer Basani Baloyi claims that staff were required to bow down to her when she entered an office and address her as madam. Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office is being tried.

Baloyi said she found the PP's conduct an anomaly and characterised her leadership as inflexible and irrational. She also claimed that Mkhwebane failed to or refused to treat her staff with dignity and respect, TimesLIVE reported.

Source: Briefly News