Africa-Press – South-Africa. Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela said her successor Busisiwe Mkwhebane’s advocate, Dali Mpofu SC, is “wasting taxpayers’ money” by asking her irrelevant questions.
At the insistence of the suspended Public Protector, Madonsela testified before Parliament’s Section 194 inquiry on Monday morning. However, Mpofu quibbled with her about the admissibility of her affidavit for most of the morning, only turning to its contents about 10 minutes before the committee broke for lunch.
When the committee ceded to Mkhwebane’s request to call Madonsela as a witness, it limited the scope of her testimony to CIEX and Vrede matters. Both these investigations were started under Madonsela but completed by Mkhwebane, resulting in damning court rulings against her, which forms part of the basis of the charges against her.
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However, Mkhwebane’s legal team sent Madonsela questions relating to other matters they wanted to canvass with her.
Madonsela asked if she could address the committee before being questioned.
Madonsela said:
She said the two cases she’ll be questioned on had been dealt with extensively by the courts. Madonsela said her apprehension wasn’t out of a lack of respect for the process, but out of an apprehension that she will be participating in a “rehashing” of the Vrede and CIEX disputes already dealt with by the courts.
She added that the reason for the delay in her evidence was because Mkhwebane’s lawyers sent her a “litany” of questions that she did not believe to be relevant to the inquiry.
Madonsela said:
In what is known in literary circles as dramatic irony, Mpofu said he didn’t think there would be much quibbling between them about the scope of his questions.
Madonsela said Mpofu is paid for every word he utters, and she is losing time for every word she utters, so they should act as professionals.
“No, you’re wrong,” said Mpofu. He said that Dyantyi is the final arbiter.
Madonsela said:
Mpofu then questioned the validity of Madonsela’s affidavit.
“If you want to take taxpayers’ money to quibble about that, be my guest, sir,” said Madonsela to Mpofu.
Madonsela initially indicated that she would be willing for the evidence leaders to help her with her affidavit, but she ended up doing it herself.
Mpofu asked:
“Certainly,” Madonsela responded.
She said they accused her of certain things in their questions to her.
Madonsela asked:
“This is not an inquiry into my conduct.”
Mpofu then proceeded to read the questions they sent to her in the second letter and asked whether it was “putting her under the bus”.
She responded that some questions were irrelevant, and she did not know the intention behind some of the questions, because they were so vague.
Mpofu again turned to her affidavit.
Madonsela said:
Mpofu continued to question her affidavit for several more minutes. He visibly didn’t enjoy Madonsela resisting being browbeaten by him, and complained that she insulted him and made snide remarks.
The hearing continued in the afternoon.
Madonsela will also testify on Tuesday morning.
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