National Assembly to be asked to endorse new process to select deputy PP
The National Assembly will be asked to endorse a new process to select a deputy Public Protector after the process stalled in the justice committee on Tuesday over a conflict of interest involving Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
President Cyril Ramaphosa replied to oral questions from Members of the National Assembly at the Good Hope Chamber in Parliament, Cape Town on 19 March 2024. Picture: @PresidencyZA/X
CAPE TOWN - The National Assembly will be asked to endorse a new process to select a deputy Public Protector after the process stalled in the justice committee on Tuesday over a conflict of interest involving Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
The committee is on Wednesday morning deliberating on its report to the House to explain why the process collapsed as it was preparing to deliberate on the interviews they conducted last month.
But the EFF said that Parliament’s legal opinion that Mkhwebane should have recused herself was biased and was a retributive act by those who are offended by her presence in Parliament.
The justice committee is mulling over whether Parliament should draft rules for the recruitment of a deputy Public Protector which would compel an MP to recuse themself if there’s a reasonable apprehension of bias.
Seven candidates were interviewed by the committee last month but concerns were raised about the connections Mkhwebane has to two of them.
But the EFF said the committee was trying to block the party from exercising its duties and the concerns raised against Mkhwebane relate to her former career as a Public Protector.
The party said there's no evidence that she holds a grudge against a candidate whom she once recommended be fired from that office, neither should Mkhwebane nor the candidate who represents her pro bono in a legal matter be demonised for providing her with free access to legal representation.
Deliberations on the matter continue.