Public Protector launches Good Governance Week

Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela has appealed to the public to make use of the services of her office by reporting poor service and conduct by organs of state as well as suspected corrupt activities and other forms of maladministration in state affairs.

Launching the Good Governance Week in Mamelodi outside Pretoria on Monday, 11 October 2010, the Public Protector assured the public that they can trust her office with confidential information about corrupt activities.

She also urged organs of state to respond expeditiously when questions relating to investigations by her office are being asked, indicating that without cooperation by organs of the state, her office would not be able to fulfill its constitutional mandate and commitments. These included delivering prompt remedial action and continuing to vigorously promote good governance and integrity.

However, she indicated that her office was in the process of finalising rules that would ensure that there is cooperation and compliance by state organs. These rules would inform measures such as subpoenas, search and seizures and contempt orders.

The Public Protector told community members that her office had managed to speedily unblock a lot of government service delivery bottlenecks including social grants such as pensions, child and disability grants; government employees pension payouts, workers compensation, IDs, municipal service failures and unpaid contract fees for small businesses doing business with the state. Some of the investigations on maladministration relating to service failure had helped uncover corrupt activities.

She said the Good Governance Week was an opportunity for the public to know more about the service of her office in pursuance of the Public Protector’s constitutional mandate to be accessible to and trusted by all persons and communities.

Issued by Public Protector South Africa. For more information contact:

Oupa Segalwe
Manager: Outreach, Education and Communications
Public Protector South Africa
072 2643 273
012 366 7035
Email: oupas@pprotect.org