New public protector Mkhwebane praised

ADVOCATE Busisiwe Mkhwebane was last night officially nominated to succeed Thuli Madonsela as public protector.

She needed 240 votes (60% of the National Assembly) in order to be nominated and she ended up gaining 263 votes.

Her name will now be forwarded to President Jacob Zuma for appointment. The ANC and all major opposition parties except the DA and the COPE supported her appointment.

Makhosi Khoza, ANC MP and chairperson of the ad hoc committee tasked with appointing the public protector, said the process was democratic and characterised by much public input.

She specifically thanked public watchdog Corruption Watch for its input to ensure that fit and proper people were considered for the position. Khoza said 78 people were nominated, and then 14 candidates were shortlisted, with the final interviews being televised live.

Mkhwebane was praised by Khoza for the way she answered questions, and claimed the public also supported her appointment.

In an unusual turn for the current parliament, opposition parties praised Khoza’s chairmanship of the ad hoc committee.

DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said her party would not support Mkhwebane’s nomination because the public protector should be independent and impartial.

“The public protector is one of the greatest gifts by the constitution to our country,” said Breytenbach.

She said Mkhwebane was not the best candidate for the job and that she lacked the constitutionally required experience.

The DA had been informed that while ostensibly employed by the Department of Home Affairs, she was, in fact, employed by the State Security Agency (SSA).

The DA believes she is still on the SSA payroll, which means she is not independent.

ANC MP Bongani Bongo rallied against the DA for holding it against Mkhwebane that she worked for the SSA, saying it was contemptuous of the opposition party to say so.

He said the DA was a white party led by black stooges, adding they could not prove their allegations. Bongo then reached the conclusion that the DA members were, in fact, spies.

EFF’s Floyd Shivambu said Mkhwebane was by far the best candidate and her knowledge gained through the experience of formerly working in the office of the public protector meant she could hit the ground running.

He called on Mkhwebane to remain close to the aspirations of the rural poor. Shivambu said the EFF took note of the allegations against Mkhwebane. If true, the EFF would have her removed by order of court for misleading parliament, Shivambu said.

In this, Shivambu was echoed by ACDP MP Steve Swart.

The EFF also revealed it had requested that Madonsela be allowed to address the National Assembly on the lessons she had learnt in her job.

UDM chief whip Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said Mkhwebane should be given a chance.