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Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane on sabbatical 'to get some rest'

Aphiwe Deklerk Political reporter
Busisiwe Mkhwebane is defending three counts of perjury and is expected to appear in the North Gauteng High Court on Thursday. She is on sabbatical until the end of March. File photo.
Busisiwe Mkhwebane is defending three counts of perjury and is expected to appear in the North Gauteng High Court on Thursday. She is on sabbatical until the end of March. File photo.
Image: Moeletsi Mabe

Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has announced that she is on sabbatical until the end of March this year.

In a statement on Monday, Mkhwebane's office said her reason for the surprise move was for her to get some rest. The under-fire Mkhwebane is facing three counts of perjury and is expected to appear at the North Gauteng High Court on Thursday.

This after a charge was laid by Accountability Now director Paul Hoffman in 2019.

Her impending court appearance was made public after a copy of a summons, dated December 15, was leaked to the media.

The perjury charge relates to the Constitutional Court judgment that found Mkhwebane to be dishonest in her conduct in her Reserve Bank/Absa investigation.

Mkhwebane is also facing a parliamentary inquiry brought by the opposition DA which may lead to her removal over a number of investigations, including the Absa/Reserve Bank matter, which she bungled.

Her spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe, in a statement said Mkhwebane had been on leave since Friday last week.

“Public protector Adv Busisiwe Mkhwebane has gone on a sabbatical leave to get some rest. The leave commenced on 15 January and will end on 31 March. Such a leave of absence is provided for in the terms and conditions applicable to the position of public protector.

“While Adv Mkhwebane is away, deputy public protector, Adv Kholeka Gcaleka, is holding the fort as acting public protector. Adv Gcaleka’s tenure in this regard started on 15 January and will run until and including 31 March.”

Segalwe said National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise was aware of Mkhwebane’s sabbatical and had given her the go-ahead.

TimesLIVE


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