Probe into complaints about Bredell ‘progressing well’
AN INVESTIGATION into local government MEC Anton Bredell’s alleged conduct requested by political parties in the province is “progressing well,” the public protector said.
In response to a complaint lodged by the provincial ANC into the failure of the Western Cape public protector’s office to investigate two complaints against Bredell, the spokesperson for the national public protector, Oupa Segalwe, said: “The public protector requested a briefing memo on the history of the matter from a senior official to whom the provincial head reports.”
The ANC and Good have both written to the public protector calling for a probe into the provincial office.
Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Legislature, Cameron Dugmore said: “I have written to the national public protector and I have copied the chairperson of the justice portfolio nationally to ask for an urgent investigation into the Western Cape office of the public protector.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that after a complaint was laid in February this year, that there has not been a single response from the public protector in the province, not even an acknowledgement.”
Supporting the ANC’s call for an investigation, Good party secretary-general Brett Herron said: “I have lost all confidence in the impartiality and capacity of the Western Cape public protector’s office to conduct investigations of maladministration in the Western Cape.”
Responding to the accusations, Bredell’s spokesperson, James-Brent Styan, said: “The MEC understands Herron is still being criminally investigated for corruption and the continued rhetoric released may be an attempt to distract from his troubles with the law.”
Styan said: “For the record, the minister can confirm he has never colluded with the Hawks or the public protector.
“They are independent organs of state reporting to a national leadership.”
Winde’s spokesperson Bianca Capazorio said: “While the premier is unable to comment on why the public protector’s office was unwilling or unable to conduct investigations into the complaints by the ANC and Good parties, we note that the complaints made by member Herron do not only relate to allegations pertaining to members of the WCG executive.
“As such, it would seem that a mandatory investigation by the public protector under the Executive Ethics Act has no application in those regards.”
Capazorio added: “As regards the complaints which Mr Dugmore has noted, Premier Winde confirms that his office has received no correspondence from the public protector’s office in this regard to date, but should he do so he will have no hesitation in providing her office with his full response and unreserved co-operation going forward.”