Cape Town - African National Congress MP and National Council of Provinces deputy chairman Lawrence Mushwana is among the latest nominations to succeed Public Protector Selby Baqwa, whose term of office ends on September 30.

Others include the Judge President of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Judge Navanethem Pillay, who is currently based in Arusha, Tanzania.

She and Johannesburg advocate Divya Singh are the only women to be nominated for the post since the process began in June to find Baqwa's successor.

Others nominated include Lawyers for Human Rights executive director Dr Vinodh Jaichand, KwaZulu-Natal state law adviser Fikile Ndaki, Transkei advocate Loyiso Mpumlwana and advocate L J Pienaar.

Wits University professor Shadrack Gutto, who became a South African citizen in October 2000, is also among the nominees.

This follows a third round of print advertisements inviting nominations and applications for the post.

Parliament's ad hoc committee on the appointment of a public protector has until October 17 to make a recommendation to the National Assembly.

It plans to interview the eight nominees this week and will then decide on a candidate. Those short-listed on a previous occasion will also be part of the pool, committee chairperson MJ Mahlangu said on Tuesday.

Battling to attract nominations

The committee has battled since it was established in June to attract sufficient nominations.

After receiving only seven nominations following its original advertisements, it re-advertised the post and received 10 more.

The committee held public hearings last month, but three of the front-runners, Land Claims Court judge Bakone Moloto, former Northern Province MEC Seth Nthai and Western Cape justice department head Hisamodien Mohamed, withdrew their nominations after they were short-listed.

In a report to Parliament the committee said it was unable to recommend a candidate and asked that the post be re-advertised for a third time. The closing date was September 16.

The National Assembly recommends a candidate to President Thabo Mbeki, who makes the appointment for a non-renewable seven-year term.

Baqwa will join banking group Nedcor and his current deputy, Thinus Schutte, will be the acting public protector until a successor is appointed.

Schutte has ruled on many controversial complaints against senior members of government, including then-Health minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for the Sarafina II debacle, as well as then-Minerals and Energy Minister Penuell Maduna for accusing the auditor-general at the time, Henri Kluever, of covering up a theft.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and www.news24.co.za