Dear OUTA Supporters,

The quest to remain grounded in a sea of corruption and maladministration

In around four months from now, South Africans will head to the polls on 4 November to elect the leaders who will shape our cities, towns and municipalities for the next five years.

The months ahead will bring no shortage of promises. We will hear commitments and plans to improve service delivery, fix infrastructure, strengthen governance and restore public trust.

Yet many South Africans have heard these promises before.

Across the country, residents continue to face water outages, electricity interruptions, deteriorating infrastructure, financial mismanagement and growing frustration with the performance of local government. Too often, citizens are left carrying the cost of poor decisions made by those entrusted to serve them.

This is why the upcoming local government elections matter so much.

Local government is the sphere of government that has the greatest impact on our daily lives. It determines whether our roads are maintained, our water flows, our refuse is collected, our streetlights work and our communities remain functional. When local government works, communities thrive. When it fails, residents feel the consequences every day.

Thus, it is very disappointing that once again, the Auditor General presented her organisations findings this month on the dismal financial hygiene of Local Government. What Tsakane Maluleke has informed Parliament and the people of South Africa is that despite all the exposure, reports and findings of financial mismanagement over the past few decades, the situation has shown insignificant improvements in municipal performance across the country, and when it comes to our 8 large cities & metros - where more than 50% of the population resides – the situation is regressing. The lack of consequence management raises concerns of unprofessional and weak leadership that continues to plague service delivery in most of our municipalities. National government structures, SALGA and Treasury need to be playing a more meaningful role in addressing this serious problem. 

Active citizenship is about far more than casting a vote every five years. It is about paying attention, asking questions, holding leaders accountable and supporting the institutions that help protect democracy and hold the fort between elections.

Voting matters. But accountability doesn’t begin and end on election day.

One of South Africa’s greatest governance challenges is that accountability too often arrives only after years of warnings, reports, investigations and public pressure. Throughout this month’s newsletter, you will see examples of exactly that.

Accountability under pressure at INSETA

For years we have reported on a governance and maladministration crisis at a number of Sectoral Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and this month, things took a turn for the better at INSETA, which is a very surprising and positive development that we have been reflecting on over the past few weeks. Essentially, it revolves around the eventual suspension of INSETA’s highly compromised CEO, Ms Gugu Mkhize, and an instruction by Minister Buti Manamela to the INSETA Board, to lift her suspension while they continue with their investigation into serious maladministration and governance irregularities.  

The relatively new INSETA Board appear to have stood their ground and follow the protocols of good governance and legal processes, to ensure diligence and no opportunities for the process to be derailed, which we have no doubt there are significant attempts to do so. 

In this regard, while I have repeatedly singled out the INSETA Board Chairperson Ms Refilwe Matenche for the sterling work being done here, it is important that we also give kudos to the entire INSETA Board, because this is not a one person show. It would be very difficult for the Chairperson to ensure this process is sustained without the support of the entire board, the members of which I have listed herein, such that our gratitude and recognition is extended to all board members for their moral courage in this situation, being: Ms. R. Matenche (Chairperson); Mr. J.J.M. Mabena; Mr. C.B. Botha; Mr. S.B Mthethwa; Ms. N.M Nxele; Mr. S.M. Mpuru; Ms. A.S Khoza; Ms M.R Rauleka; Mr BA Monedi and Ms. S.A. Anders.

Good developments unfolding on a number of fronts

The Auditor-General’s investigation into the NSFAS student accommodation system follows years of concerns we have raised about the lack of oversight and value for money at this state entity. And over in the City of Johannesburg, OUTA’s intervention and engagements into the ongoing electricity dispute between Eskom and the City, demonstrates how quickly ordinary citizens become the collateral damage in failed agreements between municipalities and their bulk suppliers. In this instance, we have found it necessary to intervene and if need be, take action to force the authorities to resolve these issues in the best interest of the people, not their precarious balance sheets.

Perhaps the clearest example of a matter that amplified power to the people this month, was government’s decision to finally write off the public’s outstanding e-toll debt. For years, South Africans were misled by Government that the e-toll system was working. They were told compliance would improve. They were told the debt would eventually be collected and yet, none of what they claimed materialised. It took years of public resistance, independent analysis and sustained civic pressure before government acknowledged what citizens had understood long ago.

A new failing system looming in AARTO

We are seeing similar concerns emerge around AARTO, in Government’s plans to move ahead with its implementation in July. While the objective of improving road safety is one that most South Africans support, serious questions remain about readiness, administrative capacity and public understanding of the system. Good policy requires more than good intentions and proclamations. It requires capable institutions, effective administration and systems that are ready to deliver on their promises. Independent scrutiny and constructive challenge will be essential to ensure that implementation matches the ambitions that Government has for AARTO.

This is precisely why organisations like OUTA matter.

The role of civil society is not to oppose government for the sake of opposition. It is to ask difficult questions, test decisions against evidence, challenge assumptions and ensure that accountability remains part of the conversation.

Healthy democracies require independent oversight. They require institutions willing to scrutinise those in power. They require citizens who refuse to accept official narratives without evidence. Most importantly, they require people who are prepared to stand up when things are not working.

Our Annual Report, released this month, reflects on our past year of doing exactly that, which you can find at this link on our web site. 

The report sheds insights on our investigations, legal challenges, public advocacy and accountability work carried out in the public interest. It also serves as a reminder that none of this work happens without support from citizens who believe South Africa deserves better.

To those of you who support OUTA financially, share our work, engage with our campaigns and help amplify our message, we thank you. Your support allows us to remain independent, ask difficult questions and continue holding those in power accountable.

Independent oversight only works when active citizens stand behind it.

You make that possible.

Stay warm. The days are getting longer and summer is on its way. 

Wayne Duvenage

CEO, OUTA