Cape Town, 11 September 2023: South Africa’s parliament voted to remove its Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane. The motion was adopted with 318 votes in favour of her removal with only 43 votes cast against her removal, in the 400 seat parliament. Mkhwebane was found to be unfit to hold the office in a section 194 enquiry initiated by Parliament.

The initial complaint was lodged by the Democratic Alliance’s Natasha Mazzone, a member of parliament for the opposition, who called for Mkhewabane’s fitness for office to be investigated. Mazzone speaking to the media after the parliamentary vote said: “I think today Parliament proved that there are absolutely no sides that are taken and that was shown in a few parties that split their votes. That’s why we are so pleased that it wasn’t a secret ballot.”

ANC member of parliament and Minister of Social Development said: “The world must be looking at us as a country that is still in the process of strengthening its institutions of governance.”

Mkhwebane was suspended last year by President Cyril Ramaphosa after she initiated an investigation into money laundering allegations after it came to light that undeclared cash was stolen in a burglary at his private Phala Phala game farm. The office of the Public Protector investigates complaints against government departments and state owned enterprises.