Johannesburg - Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has reportedly conducted a shake-up within her office and has fired her chief operations officer.
News24 reports that Mkhwebane has dismissed Basani Baloyi. She has also suspended chief investigator Abongile Madiba, chief investigator Lesedi Sekele and senior investigator Tebogo Kekana.
The site reports that Baloyi was served with a letter by the Public Protector's chief executive Vussy Mahlangu which stated that Baloyi was not suitable for the position of COO.
It is unclear at this stage why the Mkhwebane has suspended and dismissed the individuals.
Mkhwebane has been facing a wave of legal litigations on reports compiled by her office. Some of those cases she has lost with courts ruling against her.
Mkhwebane's reports have faced several court challenges such as the cases involving ABSA and the Reserve Bank, which resulted in the courts finding against her and ordering she pay the costs out of pocket.
She is also facing litigation in her reports involving Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan in the awarding of a pension to former SARS employee Ivan Pillay.
She is expected to face legal action with NGO Accountability Now seeking to have her declared unfit to hold office. The NGO's case will be heard early next year.