Public Protector serves Gordhan with Section 7(9) notice

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane took to video streaming service website YouTube on Monday to announce that she would be serving Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan with a Section 7(9) notice in terms of the Public Protector Act. 

This section of the Act says: “If it appears to the Public Protector during an investigation that any person is implicated, and that such implication may be to the detriment of that person or that an adverse finding may result, the Public Protector shall afford such a person an opportunity to respond.”

Mkhwebane gave Gordhan 10 days to respond.

In the video, Mkhwebane said Gordhan was not being harassed or targeted. “We wanted his [Gordhan’s] side of the story,” she said.

She added: “It needs to be clear to South Africans that I receive complaints. I don’t go around and ask people to complain. When I receive the complaints, I would have to approach the person complained against and receive their side of the story.”

* More to follow.