The selection of Kholeka Gcaleka as the next public protector has come under fire from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) who say they will not support her.
The DA has called for the position to be readvertised as none of the candidates was fit for the position.
The EFF said it would not allow Gcaleka to be appointed to the position because she was biased and not the right person for the job.
It said Gcaleka has failed in her duties by protecting President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Phala Phala scandal.
“Advocate Gcaleka’s role in an investigation that directly implicates Ramaphosa is questionable, given the potential for it to impact her future in the office of the public protector. The conclusion she reached in this case, despite contrary evidence, points to a compromised sense of objectivity and fairness,” said EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo.
He further said the other seven candidates for the position had their own shortcomings.
DA MP and its spokesperson on justice, Glynnis Breytenbach, said none of the candidates was up to the task of taking up the position.
She said they will not merely settle for any candidate simply because they need to fulfil the requirements of appointing the new public protector.
“The DA will not be supporting any of the shortlisted candidates for appointment. The DA further strongly recommends that the post be re-advertised in order to attract more suitable candidates. The position is of far too great importance to settle for an unsatisfactory result for the second time in a row. Parliament must reopen the application process in order to find a candidate truly worthy of being the new public protector of South Africa,” said Breytenbach.
Wouter Wessels of the Freedom Front Plus also said Gcaleka was a compromised candidate who was carrying a lot of baggage.
He said it was important for the office to allow for this appointment to go through.
The selection of Gcaleka by the ad hoc committee, chaired by Cyril Xaba, comes as the Section 194 committee concludes its process to remove suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane from office.
Politics
