Give her a chance

IT’S VERY important to remember two things when we consider the main rumour around advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, who has been recommended to take over from Thuli Madonsela when she leaves the office of Public Protector at the end of October.

That rumour is that Mkhwebane, who currently works as an analyst at the State Security Agency, is “close” to President Jacob Zuma. And although no one has yet been able to provide much more detail or proof of this alleged closeness, it is that rumour which has featured in almost every report about her upon her emergence as the consensus candidate. Her nomination will be submitted to the National Assembly by the ad hoc committee tasked by parliament with finding a new Public Protector.

It is important to remember that, even if she is “close” to Zuma, his own term will most certainly come to an end within the next three years, if not before. Mkhwebane will be in office for seven years. Also, the way in which the Public Protector’s office has been structured in terms of the constitution is that outside influence is particularly minimised. And so we should, perhaps, rather hear the voices of those members of the ad hoc committee who have supported her nomination in spite of this rumour, and in spite of their own otherwise jaundiced view on the president.

Even Corruption Watch, an independent body which kept its eye on the candidates and the process, found hers to be a good recommendation. It appears that only the DA is concerned.

Certainly, very few of us have ever heard of Mkhwebane, but then, how many of us had heard of Madonsela when she was nominated in 2009 after the post had had to be re-advertised when the committee agreed that at least half of the applicants did not have the correct qualifications.

Yet a largely unknown advocate from the South African Law Reform Commission turned into one of our greatest heroes. Mkhwebane, who has worked in the Public Protector’s office, surely deserves the same chance, and it’s not going to be an easy job filling Madonsela’s shoes, whether she’s “close” to Zuma or not. Madonsela’s shadow alone will feel enormous.