WATCH | Mpofu under fire for ‘attacking’ Madonsela’s appearance

Advocate Dali Mpofu has come under fire online for “attacking” advocate and former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s appearance, with many calling for him to be reported to the Legal Practice Council (LPC). 

Madonsela this week locked horns with Mpofu during her testimony at the parliamentary inquiry into the competence of her successor Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

A heated exchange ensued between the pair when Mpofu was dissatisfied with Madonsela, claiming she changed her affidavit statements and that some pages were not signed by a commissioner of oaths.

Madonsela denied the accusations, saying her first statement had “small typos” and corrections had to be made. 

“Everything else was just spelling corrections, but if you want to make an issue out of that and use taxpayers’ monies to quibble about that be my guest,” she said.

Mpofu “attacked” Madonsela about her looks and qualifications, and asked where she was born. 

One of his exchanges with Madonsela cited “makoti wase Stellenbosch and ntombi enhle”, slurs used by her detractors during the Nkandla debacle. 

Madonsela said she was “shocked beyond measure” that Mpofu took “slurs” never used against her in parliament and focused on her looks.

“Allow me to say that even by your standards, advocate Mpofu, this was the lowest,” Madonsela said, before apologising and withdrawing her statement. 

“Advocate Mpofu, I am shocked beyond measure that you, as an advocate of this country, have taken slurs that have been said to me. A lot of the things you’ve said have never been said in parliament. 

“The one slur about my looks that you have repeated in this record, that you yourself have said you envisage to be here for 100 years. You have brought what [former] president [Jacob] Zuma said about my looks in the streets into this record. That is shocking and unprofessional, sir.”

Mpofu responded: “That's fine. You can insult me as much as you like. It is water on a duck’s back.”

The inquiry adjourned until next week, when it is expected to hear oral evidence from Mkhwebane.

On social media, many said Mpofu stooped low and called for the LPC to intervene. 

Here are some of the comments:

LISTEN | ‘Standards quite low’: Madonsela slams Mpofu for ‘wasting taxpayers’ money’

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