Evidence leaders chosen for Mkhwebane's impeachment inquiry

• Advocate Nazreen Bawa SC and Ncumisa Mayosi have been appointed as evidence leaders for Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane's impeachment.
• Bawa has extensive experience as an evidence leader.
• The committee decided to continue with its work, despite Mkwhebane's application for a rescission order.

Two experienced attorneys have been appointed as evidence leaders for Public Protector Busisiwe Mkwhebane's impeachment inquiry.

The Section 194 Committee – the parliamentary committee charged with the inquiry into Mkhwebane's fitness to hold office – was informed that advocate Nazreen Bawa SC will be the lead evidence leader, with advocate Ncumisa Mayosi as the other evidence leader.

The Office of the State Attorney appointed them.

Their appointments were welcomed by members of the committee, and committee chairperson Qubudile Dyantyi seemed pleased that the committee had reached its "first milestone".

READ | MPs forge ahead with impeachment, despite Mkhwebane's mooted rescission application

Over the next month, Bawa and Mayosi will have to familiarise themselves with the matter – there are some 9 000 pages worth of documentation, excluding the report of an independent panel that found that there is a prima facie case for Mkwhebane's removal.

Bawa is experienced as an evidence leader. She fulfilled this role in the inquiry into disgraced NPA bosses, advocates Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi's, fitness to hold office, which Justice Yvonne Mokgoro chaired, as well as the inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha.

Meanwhile, the committee decided to continue with its work, as nothing is preventing it from doing so. Earlier in March, Mkhwebane applied directly to the Constitutional Court for a rescission order of the apex court's ruling, which effectively gave the committee the green light to continue its work.

The actual inquiry by the committee is expected to commence in May, and an outcome is expected in September.