Suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. File Picture: Bongani Shilubane
Pretoria - Another witness who works for the public protector’s office has also painted Busisiwe Mkhwebane as a dictator who ruled the office with an iron fist.
Nthoriseng Motsitsi, an executive manager of Complaints & Stakeholder management, testified on Friday during the enquiry into Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office.
Motsitsi was among a witnesses who told MPs that Mkhwebane had unreasonable expectations and most employees feared her.
"The Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) is the harshest environment I have ever worked in. There was distrust amongst staff members, uncertainty and insecurity, fear and increased applications for sick leave by staff members. Working hours were abnormally long.
“Under the public protector, we had to work very long hours. We would often work late into the night, or into the early hours of the morning. We would also regularly work on weekends,” Motsitsi said in her affidavit.
She said that executive managers were encouraged not to take leave.
She described an encounter where Mkhwebane had taken leave during the festive season and when she returned, she told staff that reducing backlog was the highest priority and they should not take leave.
However, Motsitsi said she allowed employees reporting to her to take leave and she remained in the office and put in leave for January instead.
Her leave was denied, so she applied for leave in April and that too was denied.
She then opted to take early retirement as her health was deteriorating.
“I was exhausted,” she said.
She submitted her application for early retirement in April 2022, however, this meant that the PPSA would have to taken in some penalties, which amounted to R1.2m. Her application was denied.
She told the committee that her health has improved since June.
The committee will continue on Saturday to allow advocate Dali Mpofu, who is representing Mkhwebane, to cross-examine Matsisi.
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