Parliament plans to start looking for Mkhwebane's successor this month

Parliament wants to start the process of appointing a new public protector before the end of May as advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s term of office ends in October.

House chairperson responsible for committees, oversight and ICT Cedric Frolick announced on Thursday that a presentation was made in the chief whips’ forum on Wednesday on the envisaged process.

Frolick said they want to start the process this month because of the 10-week constituency period starting in June and having considered the long recruitment exercise normally followed by parliament.

“It is paramount that the house decides soon on what must be done and the process to be followed,” Frolick told the National Assembly programme committee on Thursday.

He said proposals presented to the chief whips’ forum were for the establishment of an ad hoc committee made up of 11 members, a configuration of the current portfolio committees.

There was also a proposal to have 11 voting members and an additional 14 non-voting members.

Chief whips asked for time to consult with their party leaders, he said. “But I will implore that this consultation process be concluded soon because the viable date for the house to consider the establishment of an ad hoc committee will be May 25 and by then we must be clear on the route to be followed.

“It is also urgent because the committee will have to be established after the house agrees to it, must elect a chairperson, look at the programme and the advert that must go out, and that takes time. (Then) the applications [will have to be gone through], with shortlisting, the vetting process and interviews [taking place thereafter].

“We must also leave sufficient time for the new candidate to be involved in a handover process so there is seamless transfer of authority in that office.”

Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and other MPs agreed the matter was urgent and that parliament will have to move speedily to deal with it. 

Mkhwebane was appointed in October 2016 for a non-renewable seven-year term.

The public protector is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Assembly. The resolution recommending the appointment of the successful candidate has to be supported by at least two-thirds of the assembly's members.

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