<\/p>\n
One of the candidates for the position of the public protector had in her questionnaire wrongly named the Home Affairs Department as a Chapter 9 institution.<\/p>\n
The candidate also got it wrong that the Speaker of the National Assembly could suspend the public protector.<\/p>\n
This emerged when magistrate Johannah Ledwaba was interviewed on Thursday as a potential replacement for Busisiwe Mkhwebane.<\/p>\n
In her interview, Ledwaba said she was suitable for the position because there was not much difference between her profession and that of the public protector.<\/p>\n
She also cited her experience and qualifications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe position I am holding now, I am a presiding officer. I uphold the law,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am accountable and I exercise my duty without fear, favour and prejudice. I uphold the Constitution and the law,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ledwaba told the MPs of her impressive career in which she rose from being a cleaner and tea lady in the 1990s to become a magistrate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was not raised with a silver spoon. It was harsh conditions,\u201d said the Soweto-born magistrate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to be different when people were going dancing, being on the street, and I decided to be a friend with a book,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ledwaba listed among her role models retired Judge Dikgang Moseneke and advocate Mojanku Gumbi.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to be like them and I wanted to set an example for my friends and those who come after me that it does not matter where you come from,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She told the MPs that when she was a tea lady, \u201cI knew it was not going to be my place but I needed to start there \u2026 it was like I knew I was passing through to my destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n
During her interview Ledwaba told the MPs the public protector was like a middleman.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public protector is there to give a voice to the voiceless,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
When she was grilled by the MPs, her understanding of public administration and governance issues was found wanting.<\/p>\n
During an interaction with EFF MP Omphile Maotwe, it emerged that she had written a book on gender issues, \u201cJoy Comes in the Morning\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI finished writing and I paid. They gave it to me and it was having mistakes. I was not happy about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wanted to launch. I could not launch a book with grammatical errors,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It was at this point that Maotwe pointed out that it explained why there were grammatical errors in her questionnaire.<\/p>\n
Despite a long explanation of how the error cropped up in her questionnaire, partly blaming Parliament for not giving her enough time, Maotwe indicated that Ledwaba had got it wrong when she listed the Home Affairs Department as a Chapter 9 institution.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is Home Affairs a Chapter 9 institution?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
Asked how she dealt with pressure, Ledwaba said: \u201cI pray and will talk to God.\u201d<\/p>\n
When she was asked who could suspend the public protector, Ledwaba first said it was the president but then changed her answer to say it was the National Assembly Speaker as the national legislature made the appointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cNational Assembly suspends, yes, it means it is the Speaker,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Cape Times<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the candidates for the position of the public protector had in her questionnaire wrongly named the Home Affairs Department as a Chapter 9 institution. The candidate also got it wrong that the Speaker of the National Assembly could suspend the public protector. This emerged when magistrate Johannah Ledwaba was interviewed on Thursday as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[5777,9404,4613,2632,1673,11341,2040,15071],"class_list":["post-193719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-candidate","tag-chapter","tag-department","tag-institution","tag-names","tag-protector","tag-public","tag-wrongly"],"yoast_head":"\n