Three successive clean audits from the auditor-general and the reduction in the caseload are some of the achievements public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane says her office achieved before her “illegal” suspension last year.
“At the time of my illegal suspension the institution had released a pie chart which reflected key performance areas,” Mkhwebane told the committee for section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office.
She said between October 2016 and February 2022, 412 investigation reports were issued and 2,372 public education and outreach activities conducted.
She said the office received 60,962 cases and 58,964 of those had been finalised.
Mkhwebane said for the first time since the public protector’s office was created, it had received three clean audits. These were for 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Of the 412 reports issued, 17 were reviewed and set aside by courts.
“Ask yourself the percentage which we have lost cases. And I am labelled as this person who is incompetent, who does not know the law,” Mkhwebane said.
Mkhwebane’s advocate Dali Mpofu SC said the 17 reports which were reviewed out of the 412 issued reports equated to 0.04%.
Mkhwebane said nine reports were successfully defended in court.
“The story that the public protector is losing each and every case is not true. There are reports we have successfully defended and courts have found in our favour, especially the issues of costs. Institutions were expected to pay back costs to the public protector,” she said.
Mkhwebane said the number of reports issued showed the institution was not only investigating the president and ministers.
She further added that the fact that the office had finalised 58,964 out of the 60,962 cases received was critical.
“When they say public protector, they think Mkhwebane. It is impossible for me to have done this great work. This is credit to every staff member of the public protector’s office.
“We have 18 offices now. Every investigator and office staff, if it was not for them, we would not have been able to do this. This is what the impact of this office is to the communities out there,” Mkhwebane said.
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.