Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's advocate, Dali Mpofu, has announced that she will seek to persuade the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to drop the perjury case against her – and consider legal action against the State, if it fails to do so.
And, given the devastating implications for the beleaguered Mkhwebane of becoming the first Public Protector to go on trial and potentially be convicted of an honesty-related offence, it is not hard to understand why.
For an advocate, a conviction for lying under oath is almost certainly career-ending. And, for Mkhwebane, being convicted of perjury will mean she will no longer be considered fit and proper for her position as South Africa's watchdog against state abuses.
