Public Protector meets the
Democratic Alliance
Thursday,
21 July 2011
Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela this morning met with
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Hellen Zille and other party
members in Cape Town. This follows her meeting with the
African Christian Democratic Party last week.
The meeting took place as part of the Public Protector’s
nationwide public consultation process aimed at soliciting
feedback, discussing the role of the institution and
enhancing relations with key stakeholders including
political parties.
Explaining the purpose of the meeting, the Public Protector
said that she wanted to get a sense of whether she was
meeting stakeholder expectations. She explained the role of
her institution as giving justice where there were
administrative injustices, identifying systemic
deficiencies, exacting accountability in the use of public
power and control over state resources and taking remedial
action. She emphasised that without remedial action her
office would be a gate to nowhere.
The Public Protector further said that it was important to
have a common understanding of her mandate and to determine
whether the institution was true to its mandate.
The DA took the opportunity to reiterate its commitment to
the Constitution and to respecting and defending the
independence of the Chapter 9 institutions.
Party leaders expressed their satisfaction with the
efficiency and independence of the Public Protector’s office
in dealing with cases, both where DA public representatives
were complainants, or assisted others, and in cases where
party administrations were respondents. Likewise, the Public
Protector expressed her satisfaction with the channels of
communication and response times of the Western Cape
Provincial government.
The discussion was fruitful and frank and the outcomes will
enhance the professional engagement between the Public
Protector and the DA. Both parties recognised the different
but complementary roles they play in protecting the
Constitution.
A key issue that emerged from the meeting was the need for a
national dialogue of the notion of accountability, its
definition, and the importance it plays in a democracy.
For more information contact:
Kgalalelo Masibi
Spokesperson for the Public Protector
Tel: (012) 366 7006
Cell: 079 507 0399
E-mail:kgalalelom@pprotect.org
www.publicprotector.org
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