From royal palaces to community halls, Public Protector Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka and her team listened to Mpumalanga’s concerns and pledged to turn complaints into concrete remedial action. Pictures Credits: Public Protector South Africa
By Duncan Mnisi
South Africa – The Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) has concluded a two-day stakeholder programme in Mpumalanga, marked by meetings with traditional leaders, lawmakers and community members, all aimed at improving service delivery and strengthening accountability.
The tour began on Monday, when Public Protector Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka met AmaNdebele King Makhosoke II at Klipfontein, Kwa-Mhlanga, followed by an engagement with King Mahlangu at the Ndzundza-Mabhoko Royal Palace in Mthambothini, Siyabuswa.
“We look into the people and institutions we investigate as partners,” Gcaleka said, reinforcing the PPSA’s ecosystem approach to accountability.
On Tuesday, the PPSA delegation — led by CEO Thandi Sibanyoni, Chief of Staff Gumbi Tyelela and Adv. Gcaleka — hosted a community outreach session in Thulamahashe.
Residents raised concerns about persistent water shortages, damaged roads and slow municipal response times.
“If you are not transformed as a person, how do you transform the next?” Gcaleka told attendees, emphasising that meaningful change begins at individual and community level.
The programme’s key engagement took place on Wednesday in a meeting with the Speaker of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, Makhosazane Masilela. Discussions focused on long-standing service-delivery complaints and how the PPSA can work with the legislature to ensure that remedial actions issued to provincial departments and municipalities are implemented faster.
“We are here to listen and to work hand-in-hand with the Speaker’s office so that our recommendations translate into real improvements on the ground,” said CEO Thandi Sibanyoni.
The tour concluded with a meeting with Premier Mandla Ndlovu, who thanked the PPSA for its “warm engagement” and committed his administration to supporting the implementation of the Public Protector’s findings.
These engagements form part of the PPSA’s constitutional mandate under Section 182, which requires the office to remain accessible to all persons and communities. By interacting directly with traditional leaders, public institutions and residents, the PPSA hopes to bridge the gap between constitutional obligations and day-to-day service delivery.
Adv. Gcaleka, appointed as South Africa’s fifth Public Protector in November 2023, has prioritised stakeholder outreach during her tenure. Her vision of an “ecosystem of accountability” — collaborative oversight involving Parliament, the Auditor-General and civil society — was evident throughout the Mpumalanga tour.
The PPSA says it will continue monitoring the implementation of its remedial actions and hopes the cooperative spirit shown during the programme will lead to tangible improvements across the province.
