Her spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe, has confirmed that she was served summons to appear earlier this week.

"As a law-abiding citizen, the Public Protector will cooperate and present herself to the court on 21 January 2021 as required and is confident that the court will clear her of any wrongdoing."

The perjury charges follow a High Court ruling on Mkhwebane's Bankorp report.

In that judgement, the court found she had been dishonest in her conduct surrounding the probe.

In a statement, Segalwe takes aim at Advocate Paul Hoffman, saying that this was not the first time he'd come after Mkhwebane, citing two other occasions on which Hoffman sought to have her removed from office or otherwise censured.

"The Public Protector views these as being characteristic of Advocate Hoffman SC, who in 2013 unsuccessfully pursued the impeachment of the Chief Justice over the comments that the Chief Justice had reportedly made in respect of the transformation of the judiciary."

Meanwhile, Lobby group Outa has welcomed the formalisation of charges against the Public Protector.

Advocate Mkhwebane has been summoned to appear in court next year on a charge of perjury laid by Accountability Now.

Outa‘s Stephanie Fick: "The perjury charges against the Public Protector underline the need for public officials, particularly those whose role is to uphold the Constitution, to uphold the highest standards of fairness and honesty, the new year will start on a warning note for such public officials when the Public Protector, the head of a Chapter Nine institution is due to appear in Pretoria Magistrates Court."

EWN