Pretoria – Advocate Dali Mpofu has withdrawn from representing suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane in the Section 194 committee enquiry into her fitness to hold office.
His withdrawal came after Mkhwebane’s postponement application was rejected by Section 194 committee chair Qubudile Dyantyi on Thursday.
Dyantyi said the adjournment application should not be granted. He argued that the committee had experienced too many stops and starts and this had led to a loss of momentum.
He said Mkhwebane’s accusation that a refusal of the adjournment application could only come from spite was “unfortunate and baseless”.
Dyantyi told Mkhwebane’s legal team the committee resolved to decline the adjournment decision.
“We want to proceed with our work,” Dyantyi said.
“As I indicated earlier, the decision really does not come as a surprise,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu then added they were not able to take part further in “any of the illegal activities”.’
“So, I am afraid, then as far as the legal team is concerned, this is as far as the legal team can take it. Good luck, maybe we’ll see you again. Maybe not,“ said Mpofu.
Mkhwebane was left to fend for herself, contrary to a ruling of the Constitutional Court that ordered that she had to be represented throughout proceedings.
Evidence leader advocate Nazreen Bawa SC asked if Mkhwebane gave Seanego Attorneys an instruction to terminate Mpohu’s mandate.
Mkhwebane said that she hadn’t given a mandate to her legal team to leave the proceedings and asked committee chairperson Dyantyi for time to consult with Mpofu and the team to try to persuade them to return.
She said if she failed to get them to return she would have to find a new attorney of record
“They didn’t even say they are terminating, I must find out from them. I don’t know why this came out the way it did,’’ she said.
Dyantyi said the committee would meet Friday morning to get clarification on the way forward.
