4 Public Protector candidates set to face grilling from MPs in interviews

Four of the eight candidates vying to be the next Public Protector will be interviewed in an open meeting of Parliament on Wednesday.

An ad hoc committee comprising all political parties will be conducting the interviews, with the aim of recommending a candidate to the National Assembly by the end of the month.

If approved by the president, the successful candidate will become the country’s fifth Public Protector and serve a non-renewable, seven-year term.

The term of embattled incumbent, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, ends in October.

The first of the four candidates that will face a panel of parliamentarians on Wednesday will be former Human Rights Commission CEO, Tseliso Thipanyane.

He currently works in the office of the Chief Justice.

Wednesday’s other candidates include advocates Kwena Ntsewa, Oliver Josie and Lynnette Marais.

On Tuesday, the committee heard that all the candidates had passed the vetting process and their qualifications had been verified.

Committee chairperson, Cyril Xaba, said each candidate would be interviewed for 90 minutes by the 11 permanent committee members.

“Each member will be given eight minutes to interact with the candidate, and the chair will still be playing a refereeing role in that time.”

Ahead of Wednesday morning’s interviews, the committee will meet behind closed doors to agree on the questions that will be put to the candidates.

-EWN

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