Inquiry chair Richard Dyantyi downplays bias against Mkwebane

CAPE TOWN — The head of the parliamentary inquiry into Section 194, Richard Dyantyi, said on Friday he was not biased against suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

He insisted that there was no predetermined outcome of the trial investigating Mkhwebane‘s fitness to perform his duties.

Earlier on Friday, his lawyer said he was considering asking Dyantyi to stand down after parliament took action following the failure of Mkhwebane’s latest bid for the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.

Dyantyi said he did not believe Parliament had done anything improper in addressing the Western Cape Supreme Court this week.

He said it was because the public protector had argued in her pending suspension case that the case in the Constitutional Court had an impact on the legality of the investigation.

“I do not believe that the filing of the affidavit or my continued involvement in the litigation initiated by the PP itself constitutes bias,” Dyantyi said.

Dyantyi said the parliamentary affidavit merely sought to address substantive legal issues and not the merits of Mkhwebane’s office.

“I have strived throughout the process to ensure that this process is fair and I have said many times that there is no pre-determined outcome in this case. We do this in a factual and practical,” Dyantyi explained.

Mkhwebane’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu, replied that while he would not oppose the recent affidavit of parliament, he would submit his own statement instead.