Taxpayers paid R3.7m for Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to live alongside Ministers in the government's Bryntirion Estate in Pretoria, while she owned her own house in the city.

A News24 report says all of this was done in the name of ‘security risks’ after a threats assessment was performed by former Police Chief General Khehla Sitole when he was divisional commissioner for Protection & Security Services in 2017.

Sitole's recommendation to move Mkhwebane into Bryntirion was approved by then Public Works Minister Nathi Nhleko.

Mkhwebane's predecessor, Thuli Madonsela, lived in her private house in a security estate in Pretoria throughout her term and was only provided with two police protectors a year after taking office.

After taking office as Public Protector, Mkhwebane sold personal properties worth over R3m that were situated close to the Public Protector's office in Pretoria and bought properties in Ballito and Bronkhorstspruit to the value of R7m.

Mkhwebane still stays in an apartment in Bryntirion, the official government village where President Cyril Ramaphosa and his executive stay, for which the Office of the Public Protector pays R11 000 a month.

Between 2017 and August 2021 she lived in a Bryntirion house at a cost of over R60 000 per month.

Full News24 report