Mkhwebane told she's not entitled to millions in gratuity by her former office

Impeached former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is expected to be at loggerheads with her former employer over a whopping payout believed to be in the region of R10m.

TimesLIVE was reliably informed the public protector's office has determined Mkhwebane does not qualify for the payment because of how she left the office.

Mkhwebane was impeached by parliament last year, rendering her unqualified to receive the payout, the protector's office says. 

She was removed as the public protector in September by the National Assembly, with 318 MPs voting for her removal against 43 who voted to keep her while one MP abstained.

President Cyril Ramaphosa officially removed her a day later.

She has since joined the EFF as an MP.

TimesLIVE has been informed the office of the public protector this week communicated its decision to Mkhwebane.

Some of the reasons are said to be that the law entitles only those who have left the post of the public protector on their own volition or at the end of their term to receive the payment and not when they have been removed.

The office of the public protector is said to have told Mkhwebane it cannot find a law in either the constitution or the Public Protector Act under which it can justify making the payment.

Mkhwebane’s predecessor, Thuli Madonsela, was paid R7.6m in gratuity at the end of her non-renewable seven-year term.

Mkhwebane had not responded to calls and questions by the time of publishing. Her comments will be added at a later stage.

TimesLIVE