Pretoria - The City of Tshwane has been rapped over the knuckles by Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane following its failure to comply with her remedial actions.
The municipality is among several state organs named and shamed by Mkhwebane for maladministration and being complicit in not providing good quality services to residents.
In her report used to track the implementation of recommendations she had made, Mkhwebane cited the City twice for the Peu electricity smart meters case and the Tshwane Metro and North West Housing Corporation.
Mkhwebane has charged that she had asked the accounting officer to take appropriate action and lay criminal charges, where necessary, against officials implicated in any irregularities during the awarding of the tender to install prepaid meters in the City.
The deal, which has since been nullified by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, was entered into when the ANC was governing the metro under mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
Mkhwebane added that to date the remedial actions had not been implemented nor had she received any form of communication from the City on the issue.
On the North West Housing Corporation matter, Mkhwebane highlighted that she had made recommendations that chief executive Frans Boshielo render an apology to each of the complainants within 30 days of her issuing her report.
This came after the North West Housing Corporation was investigated for mismanagement over the sales and transfers of properties situated within the boundaries of the City. This matter was not adhered to, Mkhwebane revealed.
“It is worrying that even in the face of such unequivocal guideline on the standards that ought to have been upheld by the state when dealing with the public protector, we still have officials, public office bearers, and state institutions that plead ignorance when called on to right their wrongs,” Mkwebane said.
“I would like to remind organs of state of the reality that co-operation with our investigations and compliance with remedial action is not optional.”
Addressing the media at her offices yesterday, Mkhwebane said that because of the minimal R4million budget allocated to her office, it could not afford litigation in compelling state institutions to comply, saying the naming and shaming is one of the ways to show the public that these organisations were second-guessing her.
She said that already 21 out more than 70 investigative reports that she had instituted since taking office were under review.
Other institutions that have also been fingered include Eskom, the South African National Defence Force, Treasury, provincial departments of education and several municipalities.
Mkhwebane refused to leave any stone unturned, going as far as to shame Police Minister Bheki Cele for failing to protect two corruption whistle-blowers in KwaZulu-Natal.
The two men, linked to the case of murdered former ANC Youth League general secretary Sindiso Magaqa, have fled their homes and are on the run following several death threats.
Mkhwebane said she had asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to take action against Cele for not protecting them, saying this was not merely a witness protection exercise.
She also blasted Treasury for the manner in which it had handled the matter relating to the Vhembe Concerned Pensioners Group in Limpopo.
Mkhwebane said two former members of the Venda Pension Fund had approached her for assistance. They complained that the state through the Government Employees Pension Fund and Treasury acted improperly during the privatisation of the fund resulting in prejudice to members. She said Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s department had prolonged the process while the pensioners suffered.
The Constitutional Court has affirmed the powers of the Public Protector, stressing that in the execution of her investigative, reporting or remedial powers, she is not inhibited, undermined or sabotaged by anyone.
Tshwane had not commented by last night.