On Thursday, 11 July, Public Protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka will deliver a public lecture – titled “Community engagement and the role of the public protector in supporting and strengthening constitutional democracy” – at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus.

Adv Gcaleka holds an LLB degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an LLM in commercial law from the University of Johannesburg.

She started her career as an aspirant prosecutor in 2004 at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and worked her way up. In 2016, after leaving the NPA as senior deputy director for public prosecutions, she was employed as the special ministerial advisor for the departments of Public Service and Administration, Home Affairs and Finance. As special advisor she specifically focused on legislation and policy development, administration, strategy, compliance and governance.

Adv Gcaleka, also served on the Committee of Enquiry, probing the state of affairs of municipalities across Gauteng, as well as various other boards. She is currently a board member of the International Ombudsman Institute, a member of the United Nations Working Group of the International Ombudsman Institute, and the chairperson of the African Ombudsman Research Centre.

She is also the co-drafter of the African Peer Review Mechanism South African Charter of the National General Council.

She was also the first black female to be appointed the national Chairperson of the Society of State Advocates.

Adv Kholeka Gcaleka