Why did they suspend the Public Protector? President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to suspend public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane was “the only possible rational outcome” and not retaliation for her investigation of him, says the Constitutional Court. She took the reigns from Thuli Madonsela two years ago but has failed to live up her predecessor’s high standards. Mkhwebane has been accused of siding with state captors and failing to “protect the public” from corrupt officials. Here, we’re looking at the complete profile of Mkhwebane to learn a bit more about the embattled advocate On Thursday, the apex court overturned last year’s Western Cape High Court finding that the president’s decision to suspend Mkhwebane was irrational. Mkhwebane’s suspension, pending the outcome of the section 194 inquiry, stands… WHO IS BUSISIWE MKHWEBANE? She’s an Mpumalanga girl, born in Benal in 1970. She stayed local to complete her studies at the University of Limpopo, during the early 90s. As she made her way into law and politics, she eventually completed a hat-trick of degrees. From the University of Johannesburg, she obtained a corporate law and a higher diploma in tax. In 2010, she finished her Masters in Business Leadership via the University of South Africa (Unisa). WHAT WORK HAS BUSISWE MKHWEBANE DONE? She certainly knows a thing or two about foreign diplomacy, as well. Mkhwebane has worked for the SA Human Rights Commission, our embassy in China, and served as a director in refugee and asylum seeker management since the turn of the century. She did seem like a relatively safe choice to assume the mantle of Thuli Madonsela. Busisiwe went into the job with an excellent track record and even made the right noises about seeking justice against state capture. MAKING HER OWN ENEMIES But she has struggled to handle the many challenges that come with the role. She began life in office on the wrong footing, after falling out with Madonsela very early on. Mkhwebane reportedly wanted nothing to do with Thuli, and it set the tone for a tumultuous transition. Julius Malema once supported the decision to have Mkhwebane become Public Protector. However, he publicly denounced her in January 2017, expressing how little confidence he and his party had in her ability.