CAMPAIGNS

SA’s public protectors – the legacies, part three

Our new three-part Bua Mzansi series looks at the careers of South Africa’s three public protectors to date. In part three, we focus on Thuli Madonsela, who, with her team, has raised the image and reputation of the institution to unprecedented heights. Parts one and two looked at Selby Baqwa and Lawrence Mushwana respectively. Public Read more >

CAMPAIGNS

SA’s public protectors – the legacies, part two

The mixed legacy left by South Africa’s public protectors continues in part two of our three-part series, which deals with Lawrence Mushwana, the predecessor of incumbent Thuli Madonsela. Part three will look at Madonsela herself, while part one highlighted the role played by now-Judge Selby Baqwa in establishing the institution of the Public Protector. Lawrence Read more >

CORRUPTION NEWS

SA’s public protectors – the legacies, part one

Our first three-part Bua Mzansi series looks at the careers of South Africa’s three public protectors to date. Part one starts with Selby Baqwa, who helped establish the Chapter 9 institution in 1995. Parts two and three will focus on Lawrence Mushwana and Thuli Madonsela respectively. Selby Baqwa The Public Protector has become an increasingly Read more >

OPINIONS

Court has done its bit, now it’s up to politics

by Steven Friedman First published in Business Day For not the first time, many of us seem to need reminding that the Constitutional Court’s job is to make sure politicians stick to the rules — not to do their jobs for them. Last week’s Constitutional Court judgment deserves the cheers that greeted it — it Read more >

LITIGATION

Zuma, Nat Assembly violated Constitution, says ConCourt

The Constitutional Court has ruled that President Jacob Zuma failed to uphold his duties as prescribed by the Constitution in dealing with the findings of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela with regard to Nkandla. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said Zuma “failed to defend, uphold and protect the Constitution of the land” in the matter and his Read more >

LITIGATION

CW welcomes ConCourt Nkandla ruling

Corruption Watch applauds today’s Constitutional Court judgment which finds that the rulings of the Public Protector are binding and can only be set aside upon judicial review. The judgment reinforces the provision in the Constitution for all organs of state to protect and promote the Chapter 9 institutions. This includes taking positive steps to safeguard Read more >

LITIGATION

Corruption Watch appears in the Constitutional Court

UPDATE: The Constitutional Court will hand down judgment in this matter on 31 March at 10h00. Corruption Watch appeared on 9 February in the Constitutional Court as amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the application by the EFF and DA to enforce the public protector’s findings in the Nkandla report. Our focus in this Read more >

CAMPAIGNS

Bua Mzansi: The importance of the Public Protector

Described by our Supreme Court of Appeal as a “watchdog”, the Public Protector is also often compared to an ombudsman, which is an institution that originated in Sweden, created to ensure that public officials acted in terms of the law and discharged their duties properly. There are now a large number of such institutions around Read more >

CAMPAIGNS

Profile of a public protector

What values and attributes would you like to see in your next public protector? Many South Africans would not struggle in answering this question. This is partly because the public profile of the incumbent, Thuli Madonsela, has been raised broadly over the past few years, thanks to controversial issues investigated by her team as well Read more >