Ramaphosa letter seals Mkhwebane’s ouster

Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane says the president has written to her to endorse her removal from the public protector’s office.

On Wednesday, Mkhwebane shared a letter on social media that was addressed to her by Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday.

“This injustice will be legally challenged in review proceedings,” she wrote on X.

In the letter she posted, Ramaphosa wrote that on June 9 last year, he informed her she was suspended pending the finalisation of an inquiry initiated by a section 194 committee of the National Assembly.

“The committee has finalised the inquiry and submitted its report, which concluded you have misconducted yourself and you are incompetent, to the National Assembly,” read the letter. 

On Monday, the National Assembly resolved that Mkhwebane be removed from office, with 318 MPs (79.5%) voting in support of a recommendation for her removal. 

Ramaphosa said in terms of the constitution, when the National Assembly adopts a resolution for the removal of the public protector, the president “must” remove the public protector from the office. 

“I therefore hereby inform you that you are hereby removed from the office of the public protector in terms of section 194(3)(b) of the constitution on the grounds of misconduct and incompetence. I attach herein a copy of the President Act recording my decision (Annexure ‘B’).” 

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