A former senior investigator at the office of the Public Protector spilled the beans about the misconduct of suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane in the investigations into the SA Reserve Bank (SARB).
Former senior investigator Tebogo Kekana was giving evidence before the National Assembly’s Section 194 Committee on Monday after he was subpoenaed.
In his affidavit, Kekana said during his time at the public protector’s office, he witnessed several troubling instances of misconduct from Mkhwebane. “I felt I needed to report misconduct which I had observed at the office of the public protector.”
While the Public Protector was investigating the SA Reserve Bank (SARB), Kekana was present in the meeting between Mkhwebane, former spy boss Arthur Fraser, SSA representatives James Ramabulana and former state security minister David Mahlobo. The meeting took place on 3 May 2017.
“On the day of the meeting, I was informed that Mkhwebane was having a discussion with Minister Mahlobo prior to the meeting. I was not party to this discussion. I found it odd that Mkhwebane would hold a discussion by herself with no one of the attendees of an interview, without anyone else present,” the affidavit read.
“The formal meeting then began. When the meeting with the SSA began, I took out my notepad in order to take notes of the meeting and took out my recording device in order to record the meeting as I usually do.
“Advocate Mkhwebane, however, instructed me not to record the meeting. She also instructed me not to take notes during the meeting. I was extremely surprised by both these instructions.”
Kekana said Mkhwebane did nit give reason why the meeting was not allowed to be recorded as was the norm.
