Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s perjury trial delayed pending high court review

Suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she doesn’t see why the two remaining charges against her in the perjury matter should proceed.

On Wednesday morning Mkhwebane appeared briefly in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on charges of perjury, which emanate from allegations that she intentionally lied under oath.

The charge relates to a Constitutional Court judgment in 2019 that found she had acted in bad faith and put forward a “number of falsehoods” in the Absa/Bankorp review case.

Mkhwebane, through her legal representative, told the court on Wednesday that they had filed an application with the high court to review the decision of the national director of public prosecutions.

“My legal team has explained to the magistrate we have filed a review application with the high court to review the decision of the national director of public prosecutions head, advocate Shamila Batohi, because there were three charges originally and the one charge has been withdrawn because there was confusion [about] whether I met the president or the presidency,” she said outside court.

“We made representations and they were accepted but there are two charges remaining that she refused to withdraw and we are taking that matter to court for a review.”

Mkhwebane said she hoped they were provided with an early date so the matter could be quickly resolved.

The matter has been postponed to December 9.

TimesLIVE