Public protector hopefuls to be grilled tomorrow

SOUTH Africa could have a new public protector by the end of the week, after the ad hoc committee concludes the selection process tomorrow and picks a new person in charge of corruption busting in the country.

The ad hoc committee will grill all 14 shortlisted candidates, including judges and lawyers, tomorrow for one of the toughest jobs in the land.

The interviewing process by the panel of MPs is expected to be finalised tomorrow. A decision will then be taken on the new public protector.

The committee had indicated it wanted to interview all the candidates on the same day.

This was reinforced by its chairwoman, Makhosi Khoza, this week. She said some candidates would have an unfair advantage over others if the process dragged on for more than a day.

The committee had also indicated at its earlier meeting that it would stick to its deadline of finalising the appointment of the public protector before the end of August.

But the timetable set by the committee this week points to the conclusion of the process more quickly than expected.

This could see MPs appointing the new public protector by the end of the week.

The candidates to be interviewed by the ad hoc committee include former deputy public protector Mamiki Shai, senior prosecutor in the National Prosecuting Authority Willie Hofmeyr, and current deputy public protector Kevin Malunga.

Former legal adviser to Parliament advocate Nonkosi Cetywayo, Western Cape High Court Judge Siraj Desai and Johannesburg High Court Judge Sharise Weiner will also be grilled by MPs.

Thuli Madonsela has until the middle of October to vacate her office as the public protector when her seven-year stint as the country’s constitutional watchdog ends.