Publications
Partners
Transparency and public participation were trending when the special parliamentary committee to nominate a new Public Protector met in Parliament yesterday.
Members of Parliament from the multi-party committee emphasised the importance of a transparent process but also of ensuring that the public had a say in who became South Africa’s next public protector.
“The process will be very transparent” – chairperson of the committee Makhosi Khoza was at pains to emphasise this point. “Nothing will be done under the table.
“And public participation is not a nice to have, it is in the legislation,” she added, several times.
Khoza also suggested that if members of the public had questions that they would like potential candidates to answer, they should forward them to the committee for consideration.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, who was also a member of the committee, suggested that the committee should make public the CVs of those who apply or get nominated for the position, so that the public could scrutinise them and raise issues of concern.
The committee agreed.
The seven-year non-renewable term of the current Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, ends in October and Parliament has tasked the ad hoc committee to find Madonsela’s replacement by August 31.
The Public Protector is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Assembly.
The public is encouraged to nominate suitable candidates for the position from this weekend, when the advert to do so is published.
Potential candidates are also encouraged to apply directly to the committee.
