Public Protector: Court Action Unnecessary

24 January

Reports in the Citizen (19 January 2002) and the Beeld (24 January 2002) stated that the Public Protector had been ordered by the high court to complete his investigation into the Venda Government Service Fund within the next three months and to report the outcome to the National Assembly. The Public Protector, Adv Selby Baqwa SC wishes to make it clear that his intention to complete the investigation in April 2002 was communicated to the attorneys concerned during December 2002 and that the application to court was therefore not really necessary.

This matter is alleged to have arisen during 1993, before the establishment of the office of the Public Protector. Although this office does not have the power to investigate such matters, attempts were nevertheless made to assist the complainants, by bringing the relevant parties � the complainants and the Department of Finance � together in an effort to reach settlement. Despite the fact that the view of the Department of Finance was that the matter had by then prescribed, this office continued to explore other possibilities to assist the complainants.

It is wrong � in the light of the above � to create the impression, as these reports seem to have done, that the office of the Public Protector has been compelled by the court order to finalize its report. �In our view, the court order is a superfluous waste of the applicants� money and time in that our findings and recommendations would have been forthcoming in any case. The applicants were well aware of this,� said Adv Baqwa.

Enquiries: Nicolette Teichman
Tel: (012) 322-1190
Cell: 082 333 5624

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