The ad hoc committee charged with nominating a new Public Protector to succeed Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday agreed to invite public submissions once it has compiled a list of nominees.
The move was mooted by opposition parties and though ANC members of the parliamentary committee were initially reluctant, it was readily supported by the chairwoman of the committee, ruling party MP Thandi Makhosi, who insisted that the process should be as open and inclusive as possible.
“It is to her credit,” Democratic Alliance MP Glynnis Breytenbach said after the meeting.
The committee agreed that it would advertise for nominations for the head of the high profile chapter nine institution on Friday, allowing three weeks for names to be submitted.
It will then invite input from the public, in what may be a first for the filling of this particular post. Members of the committee questioned on Wednesday whether it had been done in the past, but were unsure since not one of them served on the committee that recommended Madonsela’s appointment seven years ago.
After the period of public participation a shortlist will be drafted and those candidates will be interviewed in the week after the August 3 local government elections.
The Congress of the People has called for the job to go to Deputy Public Protector Kevin Malunga. Other opposition MPs however warned that openly backing him might do Malunga a disservice, should be he be nominated for the post.
– African News Agency (ANA)
