Yes‚ I want my own team - Public Protector Mkhwebane

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she wants her private office team to be staffed with people of her own choice.

This comes after reports that Mkhwebane’s security detail escorted her predecessor’s chief of staff out of the building‚ citing concerns about her security. The Huffington Post  reported that Bonginkosi Dhlamini was marched out of office on Wednesday.

The City Press also reported at the weekend that Mkhwebane is said to be so anti-Thuli Madonsela that she threatened the secretariat of the African Ombudsman and Mediators’ Association (Aoma) that South Africa would withdraw from hosting the association’s conference if it invited Madonsela.

On Tuesday‚ Advocate Mkhwebane issued a statement saying she noted the allegations “with disappointment“.

Commenting on the Durban association allegations‚ the statement read: “Adv Mkhwebane rejects the claims as baseless and malicious“.

“On the issue of private office staff‚” the statement read‚ “it is common practice that when a new head of institution takes office‚ they prefer their private office to be ran by people they have appointed themselves.”

“The private office is similar to a ministry in government circles. Even Adv. Mkhwebane’s predecessor (Madonsela) brought her own team of aides when she took office and‚ at that point‚ staff that previously worked with Adv. Lawrence Mushwana were redeployed elsewhere.”

Business Day reported in October that Dhlamini had been in the chief of staff post for just over three months when he and Madonsela’s former personal assistant‚ Busi Jele‚ were redeployed by Mkhwebane during her first two days in office. In response to questions at the time‚ the office said a new post was being explored for Dhlamini.

Also flagged for redeployment at the time was the only senior investigator who had worked on the state capture report.