Protector raps Education on knuckles
THE DEPARTMENT of Education in the Northern Cape has been rapped on the knuckles by the Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane, for not being co-operative in assisting in resolving complaints lodged.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting at the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature in Kimberley yesterday, Mkhwebane said that in this Province, her office was inundated with complaints of delays in pension payouts for retired civil servants, alleged failure of the police to properly investigate cases, wrong allocation of stands and houses by municipalities, over-billing for services, delays in the processing of applications for identity documents and permits, tender irregularities and irregular appointments of officials.
“Our ability to intervene and resolve matters expeditiously is dependent on the co-operation of organs of state against which complaints have been lodged. Unfortunately, the Department of Education and some municipalities here are not co-operative. This leads to unnecessarily drawn-out investigations,” said Mkhwebane.
She appealed to these organs of state to “take a leaf out of the books of peers such as the departments of Home Affairs, Health and Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs”.
Mkhwebane stated that in the last financial year alone, her office had received 336 new complaints in the Northern Cape, in addition to cases from the preceding financial year.
“By March 2017, 407 had been finalised and more than 220 of these were disposed of after my assumption of duty.
Resolve
“The point I am making is that we really strive to resolve complaints expeditiously because we believe that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’. However, for us to be responsive and to provide justice to the public without delay, we depend on co-operation from organs of state.”
She appealed to the Northern Cape Legislature to help hold organs of state to account so that answers could be obtained for complainants.
Stakeholders at yesterday’s meeting, including Nocci CEO Sharon Steyn, pointed out that issues reported to the Public Protector’s Office were often not resolved and no feedback was received.
“People go the Public Protector’s in Kimberley and their documents go missing or they are told that there aren’t enough staff members to do the work. Sometimes you wait up to six months before you get an answer. This is unacceptable and we hope it will be addressed.”
Mkhwebane said that she was disappointed to hear that feedback took so long but pointed out that her office had changed its objectives and strategy plans in order to compel staff to adhere to service delivery standards.
“Every six weeks staff have to feedback and an update to complainants on the matter.”
She said organs of state would also not be sent constant reminders to respond.
“We will send them one reminder only and then subpoena them. Those HODs or MECs who pick and choose what they want to respond to, will be subpoenaed.”
Today’s meeting in Ritchie marks the end of her four-month long stakeholder forum roadshow, which began in Gauteng in February.