The Terms of Reference for the Office of the Mangaung Metros’ Ombudsman was approved setting the process in motion for residents to get serious complaints investigated.

This is a significant step towards strengthening accountability and restoring the confidence of the residents of Mangaung in a municipality that has been plagued by poor governance, maladministration, and continuous service delivery challenges.

According to Dirk Kotze, DA Councillor, this party has called for the establishment of a Municipal Ombudsman that is independent. “This must be a credible institution where complaints by the residents can be investigated fairly, professionally and without political interference. Council has now laid the foundation. The real test, however, is whether the administration has the political will to make that independence a reality.”

Kotzé said the DA will monitor the Office’s implementation closely and hold the administration accountable by submitting questions to the City Manager, Sello More, on when the Ombudsman will operate from independent premises, receive a dedicated and protected budget, appoint additional qualified investigators and support staff, secure adequate protection for Ombudsman staff and whistle-blowers, and function free from political and administrative interference.

At this stage, the four members of the Ombudsman office are all employees of the Mangaung Metro. Adv Charlie Naidoo is the Acting Ombudsman.

“An Ombudsman without genuine independence is simply another municipal office,” Kotzé said.

The DA remains seriously concerned that several critical issues, essential to the credibility and effectiveness of the Office, remain unresolved.

“The Office of the Ombudsman must operate from premises that are physically separate from the municipal administration. Residents, municipal employees and whistleblowers must have complete confidence that they can report maladministration, corruption and service delivery failures without fear of intimidation or their information being compromised,” he said in a press release on Tuesday.

Residents must still direct all issues involving billing, broken water pipes and sewerage pipes, streetlights and other matters directly to the offices of the Mangaung Metro to get an reference number. Such cases can also be lodged with the ward councillor to help in these matters. Only after 60 days without an acceptable resolution, can the matter be directed to the Municipal Ombudsman.

Kotzé said that the municipality must move without delay to appoint a permanent Municipal Ombudsman through an open, transparent and merit-based recruitment process. “An institution established to promote accountability must itself be beyond reproach.”

The forms are available on the third floor of the Bram Fischer Building or send an email to sandra.brown@mangaung.co.za. The contact number is 051 405 8692.