Johannesburg: AfricUpdate – News Desk
As the office of the Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) marks 30 years, President Cyril Ramaphosa has highlighted its significant role in safeguarding South Africa’s vision of equality, unity, democracy, prosperity and freedom. Addressing a dinner to celebrate the anniversary of the Office of the Public Protector on Tuesday, the President compared public institutions to guardians who protect citizens when they are failed by public officials.
“We know that failings can occur. Power can be misused and abused. Public institutions and public officials can neglect the needs of those they are meant to serve. When they do, they have to be held accountable. The deficiency needs to be remedied. That is why we need the guardians,” Ramaphosa said at the dinner held in Cape Town. While all public officials must abide by and enforce the Public Protector’s remedial action, the President called on public officials to support the Office of the Public Protector in its work.
“If government creates an institution that does not appear, from a reasonable person’s point of view, to be independent, it has failed to meet a critical benchmark. That is why we all carry a responsibility to both safeguard the independence of the Office of the Public Protector and affirm the binding nature of its remedial action. We need those institutions that ensure that the exercise of state power is restrained by law and rooted in accountability.” He noted that the drafters of the Constitution were clear in their intent and formulation of Chapter 9 institutions.
“They were clear that those institutions would be given substantial powers and a great responsibility to support and strengthen constitutional democracy. They would be given a mandate to operate without fear, favour or prejudice. The Office of the Public Protector was envisioned as, and remains, the moral mirror of the state. The public protector is that guardian of the public interest, a shield for the citizen against state excess, and a key mechanism for ensuring that the government serves the people, not the other way around. Its effectiveness is often a key indicator of the health of a nation’s democracy,” the President explained. The Public Protector often tackles issues that have a broad impact on society and investigates systemic issues.
“While they handle individual complaints, their work often uncovers widespread problems affecting many people. Their reports can lead to policy changes that benefit the entire population. The Public Protector’s office Holds the Powerful to Account. The office has the authority to investigate the highest levels of government, including presidents, ministers, and senior officials, demonstrating that no one is immune from scrutiny. These roles remind us that a Constitution only has worth if the rights of the weakest and most vulnerable are defended as much as those of the strong,” he said. Over 30 years, the Office of the Public Protector has forged a bond with the citizens of South Africa.
“At the same time, it has forged relationships with institutions across the arms of state and throughout society. It has sought to promote cooperation and collaboration, understanding that an efficient, effective and ethical state is an aspiration that we all share and a responsibility that we all have to carry. It is essential for all organs of state to see the Public Protector as a partner in serving the people of this country,” the President said.
