PARLIAMENT ENDORSES ADV. MKHWEBANE AS NEW PUBLIC PROTECTOR

7 September 2016

The Office of the ANC Chief Whip welcomes the National Assembly’s endorsement of Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane for the position of the Public Protector as per the recommendation of the ad hoc committee established to nominate the next head of this crucial chapter 9 institution. The decision of the House will be send to the President for ratification, paving the way for Adv. Mkhwebane to take over from Adv Thuli Madonsela when she retires in October.

We are confident that in Adv. Mkhwebane this Parliament has chosen a fit, proper and capable person with wealth of experience and qualifications in the areas of law, management, finance and investigation. Having served in various state institutions at a senior level for many years, including as Senior Investigator at the office of the Public Protector, we have no doubt that she will hit the ground running when she begins her 7-year term next month.

We commend the ad hoc committee for working with laudable commitment, dedication and diligence to ensure that the set timeframes are observed and the best candidate is selected. We are pleased by the highest level of transparency and openness with which the entire selection process was conducted, thus encouraging maximum public participation.

We are disturbed by the DA’s malicious and defamatory allegations against Adv. Mkhwebane, including that she was previously involved in some illegal spying operations. The claims are baseless and point to a dirty political campaign to taint the good name of a qualified and capable African woman even before she assumes her official responsibilities.

It is shameful that the DA would stoop so low as to disparage a selected candidate merely because its politically preferred candidate was not chosen. We challenge the DA to produce evidence proving that Adv. Mkhwebane was indeed involved in spying or desist from continuing with the defamatory allegations.

The DA has further claimed that certain staff members in the office of the public protector have tipped it of their intention to resign should Adv. Mkhwebane be appointed. The DA must release the submissions made by those those staff members or cease falsely using the Public Protector’s staff as weapons in its smear campaign.

We commend the parties in Parliament who have rejected DA's mischievous campaign and rallied behind the appointment of Adv. Mkhwebane as the country’s next Public Protector.

Statement issued by Moloto Mothapo, Office of the ANC Chief Whip, 7 September 2016