By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The inquiry into suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office took an extended tea break on Thursday and was locked in a closed meeting discussing whether questions needed to be put to former executive manager at the PPSA Lufuno Ndou about allegations of sexual harassment while he was still employed at the Chapter 9 institution.
The closed meeting, according to the chairperson of the committee, Qubudile Dyantyi, was supposed to take “10 to 15 minutes”, but it never did. An indication that the matter was fiercely discussed by the MPs.
However, when the committee reconvened after lunch, Dyantyi did not indicate what decision had been taken. Instead, he apologised “for any inconvenience” while the committee was locked in a closed meeting.
“After listening to what was placed in front of us by the evidence leaders, we had to apply our minds to our own role of always exercising our duties as a committee of the National Assembly, which is constitutionally bound to do its work openly and transparently while at the same time, invoking Section 37 of the Constitution about limiting whatever rights and freedoms that are there. “he said:
The sexual harassment issue had been raised by the inquiry’s evidence leader, advocate Nazreen Bawa SC, after she finished taking Ndou through his testimony on the issue of the Vrede Dairy investigation report.
Bawa said during Wednesday’s testimony by PPSA acting corporate services head Gumbi Tyelela it emerged that Ndou had faced a sexual harassment charge while he was working at the PPSA.
Tyelela testified that Ndou had been exonerated of the charges and following an investigation, a decision had been taken to drop the matter.
Bawa said she was raising it as she was aware that the public protector’s legal team had obtained a copy of the human resources file from the PPSA containing the accusation.
She said that the issues and the substance relating to the charge were highly prejudicial, an invasion of Ndou’s privacy and immaterial to the committee’s work.
The inquiry continues on Monday. It had to cut its business short on Thursday because of network connectivity challenges from Ndou, who was testifying virtually from the Eastern Cape in an area that was experiencing a storm.
Bawa indicated Ndou would be called back on Tuesday for advocate Dali Mpofu to conclude his cross-examination.