<\/p>\n
Evidence leaders in the parliamentary inquiry established to probe suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane\u2019s fitness to hold office have, as at March, been paid R4 million for their services.<\/p>\n
This was disclosed by the chief parliamentary legal advisor, advocate Zuraya Adhikarie, during the media engagement with Secretary to Parliament Xolile George.<\/p>\n
The money paid to evidence leaders, advocates Nazreen Bawa and Ncumisa Mayosi, has been an issue of concern for some opposition parties who said that Mkhwebane\u2019s legal fees were public knowledge yet this was not the case with the evidence leaders in the inquiry.<\/p>\n
Adhikarie said it was not that they did not want to divulge the information.<\/p>\n
She said the arrangement with all legal counsel that Parliament briefed through the Office of the State Attorney was that it took six to 12 months for the national legislature to be invoiced and then to reimburse the State Attorney.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this point we don\u2019t have a consolidated amount to give fair reflection,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Adhikarie also said the senior counsel earned R2 800 a day, which was \u201cvery low\u201d and that the junior counsel earned R2 500 to R2 600.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can say with some certainty that they worked with the committee consistently every day on this matter. We paid in the region of R4m to the State Attorney. We don\u2019t have the final figures,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Another senior parliamentary official said the rates for the legal fees of the evidence leaders were negotiated with the Office of the State Attorney.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can confirm that as at the end of March we have signed off an estimated R4m in fees and it is four counsels that have been assigned,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said on Monday that he was not surprised by the Section 194 inquiry\u2019s finding against Mkhwebane.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the inquiry \u2013 mainly attended by the ANC, ACDP, DA and IFP \u2013 deliberated on the evidence and found that several charges against Mkhwebane were sustained. A report will be prepared for the consideration of the committee before it is sent to Mkhwebane for comment.<\/p>\n
Holomisa said it was clear from day one that the ANC and DA had decided that Mkhwebane must go.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been questions about the inquiry. Why bring witnesses that were a subject of disciplinary hearings and present them to Parliament as if it is an appeal panel of some sorts?\u201d Holomisa asked. <\/p>\n
He was referring to Public Protector South Africa employees who were deemed disgruntled and testified in the inquiry against Mkhwebane.<\/p>\n
Holomisa also said his party had never agreed to the inquiry\u2019s rules that provided for charges to be brought against Mkhwebane retrogressively.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is bad in law. It\u2019s procedurally flawed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
ATM spokesperson Zama Ntshona said the inquiry was never interested in justice.<\/p>\n
Ntshona raised the issue of Mkhwebane\u2019s legal representation, specifically the funding of her legal fees when the Public Protector South Africa experienced financial constraints in March.<\/p>\n
He said there was no need for the inquiry as Mkhwebane had done her job diligently.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is unwarranted but they continue with their plan because they are not interested in justice. There is an attack on the Public Protector and misuse of state institutions to protect the president,\u201d Ntshona said.<\/p>\n
He said Mkhwebane had finalised 66 000 reports and only 16 were taken to court, with just seven set aside.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a 98% performer who had three consecutive (clean) audits for the first time in 25 years in that office,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cape Times<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Evidence leaders in the parliamentary inquiry established to probe suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane\u2019s fitness to hold office have, as at March, been paid R4 million for their services. This was disclosed by the chief parliamentary legal advisor, advocate Zuraya Adhikarie, during the media engagement with Secretary to Parliament Xolile George. The money paid to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4786,3797,7387,11341,2040,14825],"class_list":["post-190068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-leaders","tag-paid","tag-probe","tag-protector","tag-public","tag-r4m"],"yoast_head":"\n