Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday whittled down the shortlist of 14 candidates interviewed for the position of public protector to five.

Following some heated deliberations by the ad hoc committee set up by Parliament to nominate a new public protector, Judges Sharise Weiner and Siraj Desai, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, Pension Fund Adjudicator Muvhango Lukhaimane, and Professor Bongani Majola will go through to the next round.

MPs meet again next week to see if they can choose one of the five to succeed Thuli Madonsela as public protector when she retires in October.