I will do job without fear or favour - new Public Protector Mkhwebane
6 October 2016
Johannesburg - Newly appointed Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane says she is ready to do her job without fear or favour.
"I am so humbled, in fact I am out of words as to how thankful I am. I appreciate that the country has placed confidence in me to protect them. I am ready," she told News24, minutes after President Jacob Zuma appointed her to serve for seven years, with effect from October 15.
Mkhwebane is taking over from Thuli Madonsela, who elevated the office of the chapter 9 institution, following several politically charged investigations, including her Secure in Comfort report on upgrades at President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead. She is now investigating allegations of state capture.
Mkhwebane said that Madonsela had done a great job and that she was now ready to continue where Madonsela had left off, and attempt to do better.
She also said she was ready to continue with the state capture investigation if it was not completed when Madonsela left office.
"I will be ready to continue with it, being protected by the Constitution. I will be doing my job without fear or favour. It will depend on the work that has already been done. Our approaches obviously will not be the same, but I will be guided by the facts before me." Mkhwebane said.
Mkhwebane said she was not intimidated by the "big shoes" she was filling, adding she was ready to bring her own shoes and "approach" to the job.
She said that the recent Constitutional Court ruling, that found that President Jacob Zuma had failed to uphold the Constitution when he did not comply with Madonsela's recommendations, had made her job easier as the highest court of the land had ruled that remedial actions were binding. Politicians would now take the office more seriously, she said.
Advocate Mkhwebane got the National Assembly’s approval to fill the Public Protector position, with all parties except the Democratic Alliance backing her nomination.
This article first appeared on News24, see here.
