Protector sets record straight

2010-07-26 21:38

Cape Town - Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has challenged home affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa to give up his own ID until each one of the outstanding duplicate ID matters is resolved.

In a statement on Monday, Madonsela's office said she was shocked and disappointed by a "false statement" made in The Sunday Independent of July 25, in which Mamoepa alleged "...that the department of home affairs has unsuccessfully requested the public protector to meet with the minister of home affairs".

Public protector spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said the truth was that since her appointment, Madonsela had formally requested, in writing, a meeting with Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on three occasions, without success.

Madonsela had a lengthy telephonic discussion with Dlamini-Zuma in mid-April on duplicate identity documents and another lengthy discussion in mid-July on another matter, Masibi said.

"This allegation regarding the public protector's unavailability is illogical considering the fact that the public protector has met and continues to meet with other ministers and members of the public every day.

"It is therefore strange that the minister of home affairs is the only one the public protector is allegedly too busy to meet with.

"Home affairs is challenged to provide any evidence to support its wild allegations," she said.

In fact, it had been the minister in question who had not been available to meet.

World Cup commitments

The last response from home affairs, received as late as May 22 from Nozipho Mtshali, Dlamini-Zuma's PA, indicated the minister was busy with meetings rescheduled due to her World Cup commitments, her diary was full and suggested the protector meet the deputy director general immigration.

Although the matters for discussion with home affairs obviously transcended immigration matters, an official had been dispatched to interact with the deputy director general of immigration as advised.

The protector had repeatedly indicated she needed a meeting, not because she did not understand the minister's challenges, but rather to reconcile approaches between hers and that of home affairs.

Masibi said the differences in the approaches was that the protector was concerned about the human rights of each individual and sought a solution that balanced the state's responsibility to uphold such human rights with the challenges the department faced.

Home affairs on the other hand, focused on numbers with no time lines for addressing the plight of each individual whose life was at a standstill.

The protector indicated in her letters to the minister that their discussion would explore avenues for balancing these competing demands.

She also stated she could not submit a response to a complainant that said they were one of many and did not know when their matters would be resolved.

It was cold comfort to a person waiting for an ID for years to be told that "you are one of the 38 000 and that they will be dealt with at an undetermined future".

The protector had also communicated the need for a definite timeframe in her telephonic conversation with the minister.

"Based on the above facts, the public protector would like to challenge Mr Mamoepa to give up his ID until each one of the outstanding duplicate ID matters is resolved," Masibi said.

Mamoepa was not immediately available for comment late on Monday afternoon.

- SAPA