CSOS-Disgrace to Justice and Governance

The Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) has shown itself to be nothing short of a national embarrassment. Its incompetence and unfairness are staggering, and its so-called “adjudication” process is a mockery of the very law it exists to uphold.

In my matter, the body corporate unilaterally changed the access system from fingerprint biometrics (as explicitly stated in the conduct rules) to facial recognition. This is not a minor technicality — it is a direct breach of the rules. I exercised my right and approached CSOS for relief, expecting that an adjudicator would enforce compliance. Instead, my application was dismissed. The effect? CSOS endorsed an ******** change without any proper rule amendment or special resolution, as the law requires. This decision tramples on the entire purpose of conduct rules. It sets a dangerous precedent: that rules can be ignored, bypassed, or rewritten in practice without due process — and CSOS will happily rubber-stamp it. How can a statutory body entrusted with upholding governance in community schemes so brazenly contradict its mandate? CSOS is not just failing — it is actively undermining justice. It legitimises abuse, strips owners of protection, and empowers trustees and managing agents to act without accountability. This is not impartial adjudication; it is reckless dereliction of duty.

The service delivery of CSOS is on par with the most dysfunctional corners of government — slow, unaccountable, and entirely divorced from fairness or reason. In truth, South Africa was better off before CSOS existed. At least then, disputes could be taken directly to court, where legal principles and due process matter.

CSOS in its current state should not merely be “reformed” — it should be dismantled. It is worse than useless. It erodes trust, wastes time, and sabotages the very communities it is meant to protect.

CSOS is not a solution; it is part of the problem.