Public Protector Office Still Without A Deputy A Year On

The Office of the Public Protector has been without a deputy for over a year. This position has been vacant since the then-deputy PP, Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka was appointed to the top job in November 2023.

The initial process of finding a suitable candidate to recommend for appointment to President Cyril Ramaphosa was abandoned last year, following a reasonable apprehension of bias.

The Office of the Public Protector is a very important Chapter Nine institution that aims to support and defend the countrys democracy.

But after nearly 16 months without a deputy, civil society organisations are cautiously raising the alarm about the extended vacancy.

The first attempt to finalise the selection of a new deputy Public Protector hit a snag in April last year. Thats when the impeached PP, turned Economic Freedom Fighters EFF MP at the time, Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane was part of the interviewing process .