Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has dismissed reports that she initiated the postponement of a hearing into her application for an urgent interdict to halt the parliamentary process to remove her from public office.
This after reports surfaced on Monday saying Mkhwebane's attorney Theo Seanego wrote to Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe to ask the case be indefinitely postponed "due to Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent suspension of the business of the National Assembly until further notice, including the process of the motion for the impeachment of the incumbent public protector".
Her office cautioned the journalist who tweeted about the postponement saying "let's kindly refrain from tweeting wrong info about the PP, whose legal team was ready to proceed with Part A but were asked by other interested parties to postpone indefinitely. The Speaker's legal team confirmed this in writing."
In another tweet, it said, "Let's not create the wrong impression that the PP is delaying the matter when that is, in fact, not the case".
Mkhwebane then tweeted in her personal account complaining about "wrong narrative" in reporting on her.
"It is not my legal team which asked for a postponement. Refrain from misleading the public," she said.
After the letter of Mkwebane's attorney to Hlophe was shared, her office stated in a series of tweets that the ATM requested the postponement due to coronavirus.
"The PP disagreed as her legal team was ready for the hearing. Other parties such as the Speaker agreed with ATM's proposal.
"In the end, it fell on the PP as the applicant to inform the JP of the parties' agreement," Mkhwebane's office said.
It also noted that other media reported Mkhwebane requested for the postponement.
"This has led to some interpreting this to mean she is playing for time, which would be odd given that hers was an urgent application."