Gaye Davis in Parliament
FRONT-RUNNER for the post of public protector — who will stand between citizens and government corruption, maladministration and abuse of power — is Brian Currin, the former national director of Lawyers for Human Rights.
Democratic Party senator James Selfe said “hundreds” of nominations had flooded in for both the post of public protector and Human Rights Commission members.
“About 20 different institutions have nominated Currin for the post of public protector,” he said.
A joint parliamentary committee, made up of one representative from each party in the assembly and the senate, was sifting through the nominations to see who qualified. The committee would draw up a list of nominees it wanted to interview and these hearings would be public, he said.
“The committee will then make its recommendations, to be approved by a 75 percent majority in both houses.” The final appointment would be made by President Nelson
The public protector will be appointed for a seven-year term and will have powers to issue subpoenae as well as search and seizure in investigating any abuse of power at any level of government. Also charged with resolving disputes, the public protector will make an annual report to parliament.
Selfe said he expected a public protector to have been appointed by mid-March and the Human Rights Commission — which will investigate and report on human rights violations — to be established soon after mid-April. Former DP MP Helen Suzman and Black Sash stalwart Mary Burton are among the nominees for the Human Rights