The Public Protector has announced that she received a letter of intention of suspension from President Cyril Ramaphosa in terms of section 194 (3) (a) on Thursday. According to Mkhwebane the letter comes after the National Assembly informed the speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula that they are moving ahead with the impeachment process.
The letter sent to the public protector also invites her to give reasons within ten days why she should not be suspended. “Though the president’s letter makes reference to the correspondence from the speaker and purports to attach it, no such letter was actually attached, suggesting a rushed process. The Public Protector will on Friday request a copy of the letter in question from the president,” Mkhwebane’s office said.
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Mkhwebane asked the president to be fair and said she would be seeking legal advice. “Contrary to the prevailing narrative, all she has asked for is a fair section 194 process. To that end, she will be consulting with her legal team first thing in the morning on Friday to map the way forward. In the meantime, no further public statements will be made on this matter given its obviously legal nature,” said Mkhwebane’s office.
The Public Protector made a last effort to the constitutional court over a week ago trying to vindicate her CR17 campaign findings against President Cyril Ramaphosa, but that attempt was once again dismissed by the court which found that she made no case for the rescission of the prior ruling which found fault in her report.
Source: Eyewitness News, The Citizen, Business Day, Times Live, image from Times Live
