Mkhwebane set to be endorsed as protector
BUSISIWE Mkhwebane is expected to be formally endorsed as Thuli Madonsela’s successor tomorrow, with most of the parties backing her appointment.
The full sitting of the National Assembly will require 60 percent of MPs to support Mkhwebane’s appointment before the recommendation is sent to President Jacob Zuma for approval.
Mkhwebane’s rise to the position follows a three-month search by the panel of MPs that interviewed 14 shortlisted candidates.
She came highly recommended by MPs following a gruelling interview with the committee two weeks ago.
The former diplomat and director at Home Affairs is expected to take over from Madonsela in earnest, despite the fact that Madonsela’s term ends in mid-October. MPs made it clear last week that they wanted someone who would get on top of the investigations immediately.
Mkhwebane previously worked in the Public Protector’s office as a senior investigator between 1998 and 2005 before she left to join Home Affairs.
The Public Protector is investigating a number of people, including the Gupta family, and there is no indication from Madonsela how long the probe will take. She had indicated it would take several months after the complaint was lodged in March.
Mkhwebane will be the fourth public protector since 1995. Her appointment will be for a seven-year period.