‘Woman of guts’ Mkhwebane gets nod as public protector

The ANC yesterday backtracked on its support of Judge Siraj Desai as public protector, recommending Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane instead.

Mkhwebane, who was relatively unknown when interviewed for the post, was backed by all parties except the DA.

She will now be recommended for the post to the National Assembly, where she will require 60% of the vote (240 votes) in order to be appointed.

Mkhwebane, the youngest of the five shortlisted candidates emerged as a frontrunner, garnering glowing recommendations from several ANC MPs as well as from the IFP, NDP and the EFF.

Currently an analyst at the State Security Agency, she has also worked for the Department of Home Affairs, spending some time in China for that department.

Her experience in the public protector’s office as an investigator also stood her in good stead with ANC MP Bongani Bongo who argued that she would be familiar with the office and the work and would be able to “hit the ground running”.

The DA however took issue with her state security links, with MP Werner Horn saying the party was “ambivalent” towards her.

Horn said he had not been satisfied with the way she had responded to his question about why she had left home affairs to join the SSA.

He said this was a concern in the “current climate” in which South Africans worried about “big brother tendencies”.

The EFF’s Julius Malema said he had been initially impressed with her interview but then received a tipoff that she was close to President Jacob Zuma.

However, Malema said he still backed Mkhwebane because she would be public protector beyond Zuma’s term and because the office of the public protector was set up so as to minimise outside influence.

“If she tries any shenanigans the institution will expose her for who she is,” he said.

He said many things had been said about Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng ahead of his appointment too, and had been subsequently proved wrong.

The ACDP’s Steve Swart said he too had concerns regarding Mkhwebane’s move to become an SSA analyst but she had the “broadest degree of consensus across political lines”.

Mkhwebane impressed MPs and the public in her interview in which she answered all questions put to her, calmly and efficiently.

In her summary of all candidates, committee chair Makhosi Khoza said she had been impressed by the manner in which Mkhwebane had responded to questions, remembering the names of all the MPs too.

The IFP’s Msimang, who nominated her said he was patting himself on the back, because she had proved to be a woman of “guts” who had given an impressive interview.

The NFP’s Sibusiso Mncwabe said she was a “brave young black female”.

And while the ANC continued to support Desai as an “excellent candidate” Bongo said that as a judge with 21 years on the bench, he would soon be eligible for retirement and the “accrual of (his) benefits” needed to be considered.

ANC MP Madipoane Mothapo argued that Desai be forgiven for his interview outburst.

The DA’s Glynnis Breytenbach however said that Desai had a poor interview, in which he came across as rude and arrogant and unable to “hold his tongue and control his temper”.

Malema, who said he was attending the meeting just to ensure that Desai was not nominated, said he had “disrespected MPs to the point where he had to apologise”.

Judge Sharise Weiner also received glowing compliments. However concerns were raised about removing a female judge from a bench already struggling with gender dynamics.

David Lewis, head of Corruption Watch, said he was happy with Mkhwebane’s recommendation.

He said it was good that the rumours of her closeness to Zuma had been aired in public, as the public would now “watch her closely”.