Gaye Davis
A LEADING candidate for the post of Public Protector, Brian Currin, has withdrawn his nomination. The former national director of Lawyers for Human Rights told the Weekly Mail & Guardian he was no longer available as he had had to take other employment.
He said he had not expected he would land the job but when asked in mid-1994 whether he was available he had been told it would be finalised by late last year. The interim constitution initially stipulated the post be filled within 60 days of the senate’s first sitting; this was later twice amended. It now says it must be done “as soon as possible”.
DP senator James Selfe said Currin’s withdrawal was “unfortunate” but added there were other “very good” candidates for the post. But he lashed out at “gross inefficiency on the part of parliament” for delays in getting the process moving of selecting a Public Protector and Human Rights commissioners.
While it appeared last month appointments would be finalised this month, parliamentary committees are still interviewing more than 60 candidates for the
Selfe’s criticism drew a sharp response from ANC senator Bulelani Ngcuka who said the DP senator had at no stage voiced any dissatisfaction with the pace of the process.
“We have been working flat out for the past two weeks interviewing people,” he said. “It was not possible to do it more quickly — the Human Rights Commission Bill was not yet passed and we couldn’t call people for interviews without knowing what their terms of reference would be.”
“In arranging meetings we had to take into account other parliamentary work and the fact that minority parties had only a few members and were very stretched. We bent over backwards to accommodate them,” he said.
* The Public Protector will be appointed for a seven- year term and will act as part ombudsman, part watchdog against government maladministration and abuse of power. The 11-member Human Rights Commission is to investigate and report on human rights abuses.