South Africa could have a new public protector by the end of August after Parliament started the selection process.
Political parties agreed with a motion tabled by ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude to approve the ad hoc committee tasked with selecting the public protector, who is expected to take over the reins in October.
The term of the current public protector ends in October and Parliament wants to have the new public protector by the end of August.
In a motion in the National Assembly on Thursday Dlakude proposed that the ad hoc committee have 11 voting members and 14 non-voting members.
Members to serve on the special committee have been allocated in line with the seats held by political parties.
Incumbent Busisiwe Mkhwebane is facing an impeachment process in Parliament and Kholeka Gcaleka has been acting in the position since last year when Mkhwebane was suspended,
The Section 194 committee was supposed to have finished its process sometime ago, but the deadline has been rescheduled due to the issue of the funding of Mkhwebane.
In the programming committee earlier on House chairperson Cedric Frolick said the ad hoc committee would have to get down to business soon to be able to meet the August deadline.
This would allow for the time to start before the end of the term of the current public protector in the middle of October.
When the ad hoc committee meets soon it will elect its new chairperson.
The public protector is appointed for a non-renewable period of seven years.
IOL