As many as 10 civil society organisations have requested the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services in Parliament to remove Busisiwe Mkhwebane as the public protector because of recent adverse findings against her by the courts.
"We are making this submission as a result of several recent court judgments on the activities of the Public Protector, Ms Busisiwe Mkhwebane, which have demonstrated, beyond any doubt, that she is unfit for office and unable to fulfil the office’s defined functions in a lawful manner," they said in their submission to Parliament on Tuesday.
"If she is not removed from office, we are gravely concerned at the potential further damage that will be inflicted on South Africa.
"As a result, we are convinced that she has to be removed from office and that Parliament must take the necessary measures that are laid down in the Constitution for such a step."
The submission sets out the grounds for the conviction of the organisations in this regard, as well as a proposal for the process to be followed by the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services.
The organisations are: Active Citizen’s Movement KZN, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Corruption Watch, Freedom Under Law, the Helen Suzman Foundation, Johannesburg Against Injustice, Right2Know, Women and Democracy Initiative, and the Dullah Omar Institute UWC, have made a joint written submission asking the portfolio committee to act.
Parliament on Tuesday was going over the rules regarding the possible removal of the public protector.
- African News Agency (ANA)
