Meet Thuli Madonsela’s ‘heart protector’

Former public protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela announced her engagement this week on SABC 3’s real talk with Azania Mosaka.

Madonsela, who admitted to seeing someone, added she valued keeping her personal life out of the public eye.

She confirmed something was brewing between her and the gentleman, who had stepped up to ask her hand in marriage.

The man is reportedly Dick Foxton, a PR consultant whose decorated client list features banks, car manufacturers and political figures.

Foxton, 75, appears to have accepted the challenge of protecting the former public protector’s heart.

Madonsela told of her upbringing in the townships of Soweto among seven kids at home. She admitted she had focused on raising her own children most of her life, adding she had only dated discreetly.

She jokingly said her engagement happened while everyone was sleeping.

Her mystery man was a good human being who respected her views and outlook on the world, she said.

The advocate added her mystery man contributed positively to creating a better world and, most importantly, respected her independence.

Although she said walking down the aisle would not happen any time soon, she said they were walking at their own pace and were taking things one step at a time.

Journalist and author Thandeka Gqubule added her comment on how Madonsela influenced her life – on the same show – and said she hoped her daughters would follow Madonsela’s example to become leaders in their own right.

Madonsela is a five-time honorary PhD holder, having turned down an opportunity to study at Harvard to be able to be one of the key people who drafted the Constitution.