The next public protector’s appointment could be scuppered after the EFF threatened Parliament’s ad hoc selection committee with legal action over processes followed.

EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu accused the ANC yesterday of steamrolling the process and warned of legal action.
But committee chairperson Makhosi Khoza said the process was fair and all parties were involved in all stages of the process.

The EFF’s sticking point was that not all candidates could be interviewed on the same day.
The DA also cautioned against the interviewing process, saying it was not desirable to interview all 14 candidates on the same day.

Khoza said the decision to conduct the interviews in the National Assembly yesterday was taken on July 13.
At the time there were no objections from any party and she was surprised to be confronted yesterday over the process being unfair.

Shivambu said they were not part of the meeting that set the date for the interviewing process.

But Khoza replied that they could not change things at the last minute when all 14 candidates were ready for the interviews.

Shivambu accused the ANC of arrogance and warned of a legal threat because he felt the process was neither fair or procedural.

He said the appointment of the next public protector could be set aside by a court of law if it was found the process was unfair.

The spat in the ad hoc committee comes two months before Thuli Madonsela’s term expires in mid-October.
Parliament has until the end of August to find a suitable candidate to succeed Madonsela.

Willie Hofmeyr, of the National Prosecuting Authority, Judge Siraj Desai, of the Western Cape High Court, and Judge Sharise Weiner, of the Johannesburg High Court, were some of the candidates grilled by MPs yesterday.

– Cape Times

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