Mkhwebane a step away from becoming the next public protector

Last night 263 members of Parliament voted for her to succeed Advocate Thuli Madonsela.

She had needed just 240 votes (60% of the National Assembly) to be nominated.

Her name will now be forwarded to President Jacob Zuma for ratification.

The ANC and major opposition parties apart from the Democratic Alliance and the Congress of the People, supported her appointment.

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

She specifically thanked public watchdog Corruption Watch for its input to ensure that fit and proper candidates were considered.

Khoza said 78 people were nominated, and 14 candidates were shortlisted, with the final interviews being televised live.

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

In an unusual turn of events, opposition parties praised Khoza's handling of the process. But DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said the DA would not support Mkhwebane's nomination because the public protector needed to be independent and impartial.

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

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

The DA had been informed that while ostensibly employed by the Department of Home Affairs, Mkhwebane was in fact employed by the State Security Agency as a spy.

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

ANC MP Bongani Bongo said it was contemptuous of the DA to claim Mkhwebane still worked for the SAA.

Bongo said the DA could not prove its allegations and called its members spies.

EFF chief whip 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.

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