Ramaphosa officially appoints Kholeka Gcaleka as new public protector

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially appointed advocate Kholeka Gcaleka as public protector of the Republic of South Africa.

The presidency made the announcement of Wednesday.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the president made the appointment in terms of section 193(4) of Constitution on the recommendation of the National Assembly.

Gcaleka’s appointment as public protector will be for a non-renewable term of seven years with effect from 1 November 2023.

“The president wishes advocate Gcaleka well in her position and trusts that she will serve the people of South Africa with honour and dedication,” said Magwenya.

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Gcaleka was recommended for appointment as the new public protector after a National Assembly vote last month.

“Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka is recommended for appointment as the public protector,” speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said after Gcaleka received 244 yes votes and 12 no votes.

Gcaleka, who has been acting in the position since last year after the suspension and later dismissal of former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, was recommended by parliament’s ad hoc committee from a list of eight candidates.

Prior to the announcement of her appointment, the National Assembly had a debate where things got heated; the DA left the house in protest, and the EFF’s Mzwanele Manyi was thrown out.

Gcaleka is the youngest public protector to serve the country.

Mkhwebane

Her predecessor Mkhwebane was impeached in September.

Mkhwebane was officially removed from office after a majority of MPs in the National Assembly on Monday voted in support of her impeachment.

318 members of parliament supported her removal, while 43 were against and one abstained.

At the time, she said she was being targeted for “asking the 31 Phala Phala questions, the CR17 report, the so-called Rogue Unit report, and for commenting on the economic impact of the Reserve Bank mandate on the poor”.

Mkhwebane has taken up a new role after she was sworn in as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) last month after joining the party.

Mkhwebane told The Citizen that she was ready to serve the people of South Africa.

ALSO READ: Kholeka Gcaleka recommended as new public protector