Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka: From Being Raised by a White Family to Achieving Great Career Heights, and More
- Acting Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka has a unique upbringing shaped by two worlds
- Despite public scrutiny over her familial connections, Gcaleka's educational background and work ethic genuinely speak for themselves
- Advocate Kholeka is now in the running to become the next head of the Office of the Public Protector
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Acting Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka has been making headlines for a while now, most notably for her controversial report on the Phala Phala farm theft.
Gcaleka has a rich history that people would find fascinating. Briefly News discovered that she did not have an ordinary upbringing.
Source: Getty Images
Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka's early family life shaped her
Acting Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka's life was shaped by a rich culture from two different worlds.
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Gcaleka was born in 1982 in Johannesburg and was raised between the bright lights of the City of Gold and the rural village of Umzimkhulu in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to PowerFM, Advocate Kholeka was raised by a white family her mother worked for as a domestic worker. The family lived in Newlands, Johannesburg.
In an interview for the deputy Public Protector position in 2019, Kholeka shared how this experience shaped her value system.
"I was raised in a white family where my mother was a domestic worker. Therefore, for me, my identity is of pivotal importance," said Gcaleka.
While she may have struggled to speak her mother tongue, Advocate Kholeka explained that returning to rural KZN made her realise the inequalities of South Africa. Growing up and seeing how impoverished people lived in rural areas grounded her in humanity.
Source: Getty Images
The rural village opened her eyes to poverty, lack of service delivery and lack of water and sanitation. This helped her understand the struggles of people who do not have access to those essential services.
Advocate Kholeka says her values are aligned with South Africa's Constitution and accountability was a huge part of her life while growing up.
This is not surprising because she was raised in a Christian household, and she previously said her Christian beliefs are aligned with the principle of accountability:
"At home, we had to account for every action we took."
Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka's family life is private but her sister celebrates her publically
Advocate Kholeka knows how to keep her life extremely private. She does not seem to have a social media presence and whether she is married or has children is unknown.
People probably wouldn't have known she had a sibling if her sister, Nonceba Molwele, didn't boast about her earning a Master's degree in 2021.
Molwele is a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and she ventured into politics because she was inspired by her grandfather, an active member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) military wing, the Poqo group.
She worked as a councillor in the City of Johannesburg and was appointed as the Speaker of Council in 2019, according to EWN. She has also held various other prominent positions within the ANC structures.
With Molwele's achievements, it is pretty clear that success runs in the family.
However, Gcaleka has been under some public scrutiny because of who she is related to. Some people have speculated that Advocate Gcaleka has her position because her sister is well-connected to the ruling party.
Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has an impressive educational background and work history
Holding the position of deputy Public Protector and being considered for the Public Protector role requires a person with impressive educational prowess and work history, which is what Advocate Kholeka has.
According to the Parliament website, Gcaleka holds an LLB Degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an LLM Degree in Commercial Law from the University of Johannesburg.
She was admitted as an advocate to the South Gauteng High Court on 22 November 2006. After her admission, Gcaleka worked as a state counsel until October 2016.
Before the glitz and glamour of being an advocate, Gcaleka worked for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as an aspirant prosecutor from 2004.
She specialised in cases related to gender-based violence and human trafficking. According to the Public Protector of South Africa website, Advocate Kholeka boasts over 17 years of experience in the legal field.
Gcaleka has contributed to legislation and policy development, both at the prosecuting authority and as an advisor to various government ministers. She was also the first black female National Chairperson of the Society of State Advocates.
She is now in the running to become the next Public Protector of South Africa, a position she will hold for five years if appointed.
Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka faced numerous challenges as the acting Public Protector
Advocate Kholeka had to take the reigns of the Office of the Public Protector when her boss, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, was suspended by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022.
She had mammoth tasks awaiting her because she had to investigate Ramaphosa for alleged corruption related to the Phala Phala farm theft.
At the Youth Month event organised by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Law School in Durban in June 2023, Gcaleka shared some challenges she faced in the past year.
According to SABC News, she explained that building resilience within the PP's office amid the Phala Phala scandal, which divided the country, was a challenge.
Her findings in the Phala Phala report did not sit well with many people because she absolved Ramphosa of any wrongdoing, which was an outcome many politicians and citizens did not like.
If appointed as the Public Protector, Gcaleka will have to face many naysayers, such as Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu, who publically said he would not support her.
Kholeka Gcaleka gets the most nominations to take over from Mkhwebane, EFF’s Shivambu strongly objects
Briefly News previously reported that acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka seems to be on her way to a permanent position, but some people are unhappy about the prospects.
Gcaleka has been running the Office of the Public Protector since President Cyril Ramaphosa suspended Busisiwe Mkhwebane while her impeachment trial was underway.
According to The Citizen, Gcaleka is leading the pack and received the most nominations to be the next public protector.
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Source: Briefly News
