Monday October 17 was the first working day of a seven-year term for Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane. She is the second public protector that President Jacob Zuma has appointed; he also appointed Thuli Madonsela in 2009. Parliament overwhelmingly supported the appointment, and civil society organisations such as Corruption Watch endorsed her. If some concerned South Africans still view her appointment with apprehension, it is up to Mkhwebane to set suspicious minds at ease. Regrettably, there seems to be some cause for alarm. First, the unassailable facts. Mkhwebane sketched her career path, both in her CV and during an interview for the position. By her own description, her last position was that of a "spy" — at least of sorts. On July 4 2016, she started working as an analyst with the State Security Agency (SSA). Its mission is "to provide critical and unique intelligence on threats … to the government to advance SA’s national security interests in a changing global environmen...
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