The inquiry into suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office will summon former public protector Thuli Madonsela to testify before parliament.

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The section 194 committee met on Tuesday for “housekeeping” deliberations before it resumes critical witness testimonies on Monday.

Mkhwebane is expected to bring her own witnesses. She had asked for those who refused to testify to be summoned, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and her predecessor. Madonsela had declined to appear before the inquiry and is said to be preparing a response. The committee decided it would not call Ramaphosa because “there is no need”.

It will also summon Bianca Mvuyana, an investigator in the office of the public protector.

The committee has set itself a timeline of drafting a report by March and a decision on Mkhwebane’s fate by the end of April.

Mkhwebane’s term in the public protector role ends in October this year and she has a month to convince the committee that she should not be impeached. Some MPs raised concerns of time and appealed to the panel to have a limit on witnesses appearing before it.

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