Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela and her deputy Adv. Kevin Malunga, on Monday donated a cheque of R30 000 towards the construction of a hall for Aurora Girls High School in Zola, Soweto.
The donation was courtesy of the Public Protector corporate social investment programme, which was launched on the day. The programme is financed through the office’s Ubuntu Fund.
The fund is made up of staff contributions and the R100 000 cash prize that the Public Protector received as the winner of ANN7’s South African of the Year award in 2014.
The Public Protector learned of the school’s plight in July 2015 when she visited the institution in honour of an invitation to motivate the learners. She found that they did not have a hall and had to gather in the sun for her lecture. A decision was then taken to mobilise corporates to donate to the school.
Describing her office’s offering as a drop in the ocean but a small step in the right direction, the Public Protector said it was a symbolic gesture to call on the corporate world to come on board and help the school realise its dream.
She called on society to invest in education as a way of ensuring that there were study opportunities for everyone, explaining that education was the only way out of poverty.
She said government alone could not be expected to deliver on education infrastructure. This notwithstanding, there was a need to ensure that the state resources were used in the right way. This, the Public Protector said, would ensure that people’s rights, including right to education were upheld.
The event took place as the Public Protector’s office kicked off its annual Good Governance Week campaign. This year’s campaign coincides with the office’s 20th year anniversary.
Several activities will take place across the country in efforts to shine the spotlight on the importance of good governance and how poor administration robs the public of good quality public services, among other things. These include workshops on good governance, unannounced visits at service delivery points and a #DearPublicProtector social media dialogue.
For more information, contact:
Ms Kgalalelo Masibi
Spokesperson: Public Protector South Africa
Tel: 012 366 7006
Cell: 079 507 0399
E-mail: kgalalelom@pprotect.org
