Beware - Public Protector openly rejects supporting constitutional democracy

As an independent institution, the Public Protector Office (PPO) is obliged to investigate and remedy complaints against state institutions (as a means of supporting constitutional democracy), one of which is the City of Tshwane (CoT), a metropolitan municipality. This has not happened. Please read on if interested.

My initial contact with the PPO was in Sept 2023 with a complaint against CoT. On 9 Nov 2023, I received a rejection / closing letter from the PPO. On the basis of my complaint having been completely misinterpreted, within 4 days, via email I requested a review. Two weeks later I received a review application form to complete, hence needlessly, duplicated the effort. On 15 Jan 2024, I finally received an email acknowledging my correspondence for a review, now pending a "decision whether to review is relevant". Nearly 6 months later, I am still awaiting a response!! All follow up email communications requesting a progress status via the escalation process to 1. Customer Service, 2. Senior Manager: Complaints, and 3. Executive Manager: Complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Worthy of note is that the Senior Manager's mailbox rejects as SPAM emails received from the general public!!

On the basis of no response, it is patently clear to me, the PPO has a hidden agenda with a vested interest in CoT, and hence unwilling to 'step on CoT's toes'. That said, accountability does not exist within the PPO; it blatantly ignores the general public it was established to serve independent of interference by state institutions. The original intent of the PPO has fallen by the wayside, and as such, I believe its existence is a waste of taxpayer money.

This article is my attempt to warn the general public not to waste their time and energy lodging complaints against state institutions with the PPO.