Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) appoints Adv. Nelisiwe Nkabinde as Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Adv. Nelisiwe Nkabinde has been appointed as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Public Protector South Africa (PPSA), with effect from 01 July 2023.

Adv. Nkabinde is an admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. She holds LLB and BProc degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as a certificate in Forensic and Investigative Auditing from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Adv. Nkabinde is a seasoned public executive with a legal career spanning over two decades in among others, leadership and investigations. Her career includes working for the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the South African Post Office, where she later became the Senior Manager: Labour Law.

Prior to her acting stint as the Chief Operations Officer at PPSA, Adv. Nkabinde served as an Executive Manager, responsible for Provincial Investigations and Integration (PII), as well as a Senior Investigator and Investigator roles, in her early years in the PPSA. Adv. Nkabinde brings to the role (COO) a wealth of experience and a new vigor through which the institution aims to deal with investigations.

Acting Public Protector, Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka formally announced Adv. Nkabinde’s appointment to the PPSA staff at the quarterly staff meeting, held on Friday, 07 July 2023.

Remarking on the appointment, Adv. Gcaleka noted that the appointment of Adv. Nkabinde, as an internal candidate is particularly welcomed, as it is testament to the fact that PPSA staff who have grown and been moulded by the institution, have the capacity to compete with external candidates.

The Acting Public Protector further stated that the appointment is also beneficial for the stability and continuity of investigations within the institution at large. The announcement was received with a reverberating round of applause by the staff at large, who have experienced her leadership.

We wish Adv. Nkabinde well in her new role and trust that she will continue to remain focused on ensuring that the PPSA gives meaning to its constitutional mandate of strengthening and supporting South Africa’s constitutional democracy, independently, impartially and without any fear, favour or prejudice.