Johannesburg,South Africa

Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka has been appointed as new Public Protector of Republic of South Africa by President Cyril Ramaphosa after being an Acting Public Protector for over a year.

According the Presidency Office,President Cyril Ramaphosa has,in terms of section 193(4) of Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and on the recommendation of the National Assembly,appointed Advocate Nompilo Kholeka Gcaleka as Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa for a non-renewable term of seven years with effect from 1 November 2023.

Gcaleka's appointment came after weeks of opposition parties disapproval of her nomination as the right candidate to replace Busisiwe Mkhwebane who was fired by Parliament on September.

Most of the South Africans deemed her unfit to be a Public Protector of Republic of South Africa after she cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa for any wrongdoing in a matter of Phala Phala while she was acting.

Her predecessor Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane was suspended last by President Ramaphosa after she gave a verdict that was implicating him for failing to disclose foreign currencies that were stolen in his farm Phala Phala few years ago.

Different political parties has voiced different messages to a new Public Protector and others ask her to put South Africa first before anything.

"ActionSA notes with cautiously notes President Cyril Ramaphosa's appointment of Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka as our country's new Public Protector.

"As we have stated previously,we urge Adv Gcaleka not to fall into the same quicksand that her predecessor succumb to in her 7-year reign at the Chapter 9.

"The Office of the Public Protector was established as an independent body that ensures that the rule of law is maintained and that those guilty of abusing resources and state power are held accountable.

"Our country is in desperate need of a public protector who would affirm the independence the office once bore,restore its integrity,and put an end to the corruption that has characterised our dear South Africa.

"We hope that the posture of her tenure as Public Protector will be of zero tolerance for corruption and that her office will be restored as a symbol of our democracy and an institution that handles all misconduct and corruption accordingly,"said Herman Mashaba,President of ActionSA.