PP's office welcomes court ruling removing Mkhwebane gratuity application from urgent roll

CAPE TOWN The Office of the Public Protector has welcomed a Pretoria High Court ruling to remove Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s application against her former employer from an urgent roll.

She approached the court in efforts to have an estimated R10 million gratuity paid to her after her seven-year stint as head of the institution.

However, the court has directed that the case be handled as a special motion instead.

ALSO READ: Public Protector's office confident in decision not to pay Mkhwebane end-of-service gratuity

Six months since being impeached by Parliament, Mkhwebane, now an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member of Parliament (MP), is still battling the Office of the Public Protector over an end-of-service gratuity.

She told the court that she’s struggling to make ends meet, earning significantly less as an MP, and the money is due to her.

However, the Office of the Public Protector doesn’t agree because she was removed from office.

This week, the high court directed Mkhwebane’s application to the deputy judge president to consider where the matter should be placed.

Public Protector spokesperson Ndili Msoki: “The PPSA will not entertain any unfounded accusations. The merits of the main application is still the subject of ongoing litigation.”

The Office of the Public Protector was, however, this week slapped with punitive costs by the court for failing to provide the record of its decision not to pay Mkhwebane the gratuity.