The appointment of Kholeka Gcaleka as the new Public Protector is set down for October 19 after being postponed on two previous occasions because of a lack of venue for the sitting.
The term of the ousted Public Protector ends on October 14, and the vote in Parliament will happen five days after the expiry date.
Gcaleka has been acting in the position since President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended former Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane last year after an inquiry was set up to investigate her fitness to hold office.
The inquiry completed its work a few weeks ago and parliament managed to remove her from office after more than two-thirds of the required number of parliamentarians voted for her removal.
At the same time the ad hoc committee, chaired by ANC MP Cyril Xaba, was finalising the process to appoint the new Public Protector.
Gcaleka was supported by the ANC and IFP in the ad hoc committee to be appointed the new Public Protector.
But the EFF, the UDM, DA, Freedom Front Plus and other parties rejected Gcaleka’s name.
She was selected after eight candidates were interviewed for the position.
During the meeting of the National Assembly’s programming committee on Thursday, Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the vote on Gcaleka will take place on October 19.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina said they had initially agreed to have the sitting on October 18 at the International Convention Centre, but late on Wednesday they found out that the City Hall was available the next day.
The chief whips of political parties agreed on October 19 at the City Hall.
For Gcaleka to get the job, she will need a majority of 60% of members of the National Assembly to support her.
Already the ANC has more than 57.5% of the seats in the chamber and the IFP has 3.38%.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Politics