Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela concluded her three day visit to the Western Cape province today. The Public Protector’s visit, that forms part of a nationwide stakeholder consultative process that has been taking place for weeks, kicked off with a meeting on Tuesday, 16 March 2010 with the Premier of the province, Ms Helen Zille. A meeting with various stakeholders in government and civil society followed on Wednesday, 17 March 2010. The visit wrapped up with a community outreach event in Delft on Thursday, 18 March 2010.
The Public Protector’s message focused on assuring stakeholders of the independence and impartiality of the Public Protector and the constitutional injunction in section 181(3) requiring organs of sate to assist and protect the Public Protector to ensure independence, impartiality, dignity and effectiveness of the this constitutional institution.
The Public Protector welcomed pledges of support from organs of state and civil society. These included a commitment by the premier to personally ensure that all public authorities under her authority respond to her office candidly and speedily.
Other pledges of support were made by the Deputy Mayor of the City of Cape Town, fellow watchdog institutions, political parties, the Department of Correctional Services and various civil society entities, including the Cape Bar Council.
The majority of complaints received from the Delft Community related to delays in allocation of RDP houses, inadequate service delivery by the municipality, police services and the hospital. The Public Protector assured the community that the complaints raised will be investigated. The Public Protector immediately assigned the provincial representative to visit the affected areas.
The stakeholder consultative process will wrap up with a stakeholder consultative forum in Gauteng followed by a two day visit to Limpopo and Mpumalanga on 24 to 25 March 2010 and 30 to 31 March 2010 respectively.
A National Stakeholder Forum focusing on feedback from the provinces and the process ahead for the Public Protector will take place in Tshwane on 29 March 2010.
For more information contact:
Kgalalelo Masibi
Tel: 012 366 7006
Cell: 079 507 0399
E-mail: kgalalelom@pprotect.org
