Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has refused to provide evidence during suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s impeachment inquiry, of public funds that were used during his CR17 party political campaign.
The inquiry marked its third day on Wednesday into the fitness of Mkhwebane to hold office.
The presidency issued a statement rejecting UDM leader General Bantu Holomisa’s statement that Ramaphosa should give evidence on his 2017 party political campaign.
“Section 194(3) (a) of the Constitution provides that the President may suspend the Public Protector (or any member of a Chapter 9 institution) ‘at any time after the start of proceedings by a committee of the National Assembly for (their) removal’.
“Accordingly, President Ramaphosa rejects the suggestion by the Hon. General Bantu Holomisa that he should give evidence on his 2017 party political campaign during the section 194 inquiry.
“Gen. Holomisa’s speculation that the CR17 campaign ‘may have’ used public funds is baseless, misdirected and vindictive. It is an abuse of parliamentary processes and privilege. It has never been alleged that public funds were used by the CR17 campaign,” the Presidency said.
Meanwhile, former Sars executive Johann van Loggerenberg gave testimony against Mkhwebane on Wednesday, accusing her of disregarding information and documents he provided during her probe into the “rogue unit”.
Wednesday’s proceedings started off with evidence leader Nazreen Bawa taking Loggerenberg through the judgment in a review application by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
In his testimony, Van Loggerenberg told the inquiry that he had approached the Office of the Public Protector in 2016 as a whistle-blower, and furnished the office with documents.
Mkhwebane had in her report stated that she had subpoenaed Van Loggerenberg but could not find him at his last address, he said.
“I say now, today, that she had in her possession reams of evidence and documents which I provided to her office, which included my contact details in full such as email address and mobile number. I provided the office with a lot more.
“When one has regard to the subpoena, I don’t know that address. It is non-existent,” Van Loggerenberg said.
He charged that he had, via attorneys written to Mkhwebane before the report was concluded, urging her to stop making defamatory statements about the Sars unit and that she responded saying he could take her to court.
Loggerenberg will resume with his testimony on Thursday.
Mpofu had asked that constitutional expert Hassen Ebrahim, who testified on Tuesday, return to the stand as soon as possible.
“He is technically under cross-examination. If he never comes back, his evidence must be discarded,” he said.
In another development, the inquiry heard that acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka wrote to Mkhwebane informing her that the acting senior manager for ICT was taking necessary steps to ensure she had access to her email account.
Bawa and Mpofu undertook to liaise over the matter if it was not resolved.
“We are indebted to the assistance because it is quite an urgent issue,” Mpofu said.
Cape Times