Parliament to consider 38 candidates to succeed Busisiwe Mkhwebane as Public Protector

Thirty-eight candidates are to be considered by Parliament to be the next Public Protector.

An ad hoc committee on Wednesday considered applications and nominations for Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s replacement.

Her tenure ends in October.

Among the valid nominations received by the committee is Mkhwebane’s deputy, Kholeka Gcaleka.

Gcaleka’s been the acting Public Protector for more than a year, while Mkhwebane faces an impeachment inquiry, which is due to conclude this month.

Parliament has received 53 nominations for candidates to become the next Public Protector, but only 21 of them have met the criteria – mostly because they have not accepted the nomination.

These include a number of eminent jurists, including the chief justice, Raymond Zondo.

“It’s the nomination that we say is invalid, not the people who are nominated. It’s invalid for non-compliance,” said chairperson of the ad hoc committee Cyril Xaba.

In addition, the committee has received 17 applications from individuals, many of them advocates, who want to become the next Public Protector.

The term is for seven years and is non-renewable.

A candidate’s curriculum vitae will be published on Parliament’s website for public comment until 21 July, before they are shortlisted for interviews.

-EWN

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A local publication, Sowetan reported in January 2019 that the soccer player Siyabonga Zulu got fired by Mamelodi Sundowns after missing his disciplinary hearing and going AWOL.

His sister, however, rubbished the claims and told the publication that his sangoma baby mama destroyed his soccer career by constantly showing up at his club to complain about him. This is after the TV show No Excuse Pay Papgeld camera crew arrived at his club looking for him to answer for his maintenance squabbles with his baby mama. Learn More