The Public Protector South Africa (PPSA) has finalised 768 investigations during the third quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year, ending 31 December 2025. These include 638 service delivery complaints, 107 good governance and integrity matters, and 23 early resolution cases.
The new target of resolving complaints through
Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms bore fruit as 41.3% of complaints resolved in this quarter were finalised through this process. 88,2% of the 768 complaints, which were resolved in this quarter were finalised within the prescribed timeframes.
The findings, published in line with the Constitution and the
Public Protector Act, highlight the PPSA’s commitment to addressing complaints and improving governance.
1. Inadequate roads in the North-West (Report No. 33): The Public Protector completed an
investigation into complaints from the communities of
Nyetse and Reagile villages regarding the North-West Department of Public Works and Roads’ (NWDPWR) failure to respond to requests for the upgrading of
Road Z456 from gravel to tar surface.
The complaint was lodged in March 2022, during the PPSA’s Roadshow, highlighting the poor conditions of the road, affecting schools, health services and workplaces, among others,
particularly during rainy seasons.
The Public Protector found that the NWDPWR unduly delayed responding to the requests by
the communities, thus substantiating the complaint. This conduct constitutes improper conduct in terms of section 182(1)(a) of the Constitution but does not amount to maladministration in terms of section 6(4)(a)(i) and (iii) of the Public Protector Act. The delay violated sections 195(1)(e) and 237 of the Constitution, which mandate a diligent and timely public administration.
The Public Protector directed, among other things, that the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for NWDPWR must ensure implementation of the commitments made, including long term upgrades for Roads Z456 and D2242 to tar standard and immediate gravel resurfacing with nano-modified technology.
The Director-General of the National Treasury and the Head of Department of the Provincial
Treasury must support budgeting and capacity-building for the upgrades under the Public
Finance Management Act.
2. Petrol card and motor vehicle service abuse in
Mpumalanga (Report No. 34): An investigation was concluded into allegations of maladministration in the Mpumalanga
The complaint was lodged anonymously with the PPSA, alleging inter alia that a number of
officials, including Ms Thembi Sylvia Mthombeni, Mr Vusi Mahlangu, Mr Maroko Abraham Matome and Mr Johannes Stevens Nakinita, abused departmental petrol cards at a garage in
Tweefontein, by purchasing R200-00 worth of fuel but charging full-tank amounts and pocketing the difference. The matter was reported to the Assistant Transport Officer, Mr Billy Mokholoane, who failed to act, leading to ongoing financial losses.
The allegation of multiple instances of maladministration was substantiated, including, petrol card abuse by Messer’s Makinita, Matome and Mtshweni, resulting in R 7 398-81 unaccounted for from 161 litres overcharged at R 10 862-38.
Furthermore, the investigation found that there were vehicle repairs at private garages without
invoices or approvals, at a cost of R 285 122-50, and 149 pints of oil were irregularly purchased over a period of 27 months for R 5 534-75 by Ms Mthombeni and Messrs Sibanyoni and Mahlangu.
This conduct was found to be in violation of section 195(1)(b) of the Constitution, section 45
Transport Handbook.
The Public Protector has directed that the Premier of Mpumalanga must initiate disciplinary steps against the Accounting Officer, Mr Morolo, within 60 days for failing to investigate and implement controls. The Head of Department is directed to review the Motor Transport Handbook, appoint a permanent transport officer, conduct fleet audits, and discipline Messrs Mokholoane, Nkadimeng, Matome, Mtshweni, and other implicated officials within specified timelines. The matter has also been referred to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation
(DPCI) for criminal investigation.
3. UIF payment delays (Report No. 35):
The Public Protector concluded an investigation into a complaint against the Department of Employment and Labour regarding the delay in
processing the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits claim of a complainant. The
investigation found that maladministration due to the Department’s initial failure to adequately consider evidence of the Complainant’s incarceration and acquittal, leading to an improper rejection of the Complainant’s application for condonation.
The Complainant had been employed at a lodge until his arrest on 11 January 2021 and
remained in custody until his acquittal on 24 May 2023. The Complainant’s UIF claim, which
was submitted late because of his incarceration, was rejected for exceeding the 12-month
deadline under section 17 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, and his appeal ignored the
circumstances surrounding his detention.
Following the Public Protector’s intervention on 28 May 2024, and submission of court
documents, the Department approved the claim on 17 September 2024, paying R 16 439- 68, thus resolving the matter for the Complainant.
The investigation revealed that the Department’s shortcomings stemmed from inadequate review of its Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines, and a lack of a clear criteria for “just cause” under the UI Act, risking arbitrary decisions and breaching constitutional principles of transparency under section 195 of the Constitution.
The Commissioner of the UIF must, within 60 days, review Standard Operating Procedures,
guidelines and circulars to clearly define “just cause” and provide processing guidance for
late appeals, and UI officials must receive training within 60 days of the adoption of the new protocols, to prevent recurrence.
4. Presidential aircraft catering costs (Report No 25):
The Public Protector investigated allegations of financial mismanagement and improper conduct by the Presidency and Department of Defence (DoD) regarding catering expenses on the Presidential aircraft,
Inkwazi.
catering costs for a 2022 flight from London to South Africa amounted to R600 000 for fewer
than 18 guests, and that catering for a cancelled flight to Turkey in 2023 cost taxpayers R91
000. Allegations also included the purchase of luxury items such as expensive liquor,
chocolates, and biltong for VIPs.
Evidence showed that catering costs for the London flight totalled R139 319,73, significantly
less than alleged. The procurement process adhered to the Presidential Handbook and South African Air Force (SAAF) guidelines, and no alcohol or luxury items were included in the
catering orders.
The Public Protector found that while the situation had resulted in additional costs due to the cancellation, the evidence suggests that reasonable care was exercised, and mitigation steps were taken, such as some of the catering being utilised on two aircraft returning to Pretoria, and non-perishable items being stored for future use to avoid complete wastage.
The cancellation of the Turkey flight resulted in a payment of R82 037,84 for catering services,
which was in line with the supplier’s cancellation policy.
The Public Protector concluded that the Presidency and the DoD acted within legal and policy frameworks, and their conduct did not amount to maladministration or improper behaviour.
5. uMngeni Municipality funding (Report No. 26):
Anonymous allegations of nepotism and
municipal tourism entity that received R100 000 in funding from the uMngeni Council.
The investigation found no evidence of improper conduct. Both Mr Pappas and Mr Prinsloo had made the required declarations, and the funding was approved by the Council through a formal resolution. Mr Pappas recused himself from all deliberations and decision-making processes related to the funding, ensuring compliance with governance protocols.
Furthermore, uMngeni Tourism was already receiving regular grant money from the
municipality long before Mr Pappas became mayor, in March 2021, it had signed an
agreement for the Municipality to pay uMngeni Tourism R10 000 a month. This ongoing
funding started well before Mr Pappas took office as mayor.
6. Irregular appointment of Ubuntu Municipal Manager (Report No. 28):
The Public Protector found that the appointment of Mr Santu Samuel Ngwevu as Municipal Manager of the
Ubuntu Municipal Council was irregular.
Mr Ngwevu, who was over the retirement age of 65, was appointed without following the
prescribed recruitment process, including public advertising and obtaining necessary
approvals from the MEC or Minister.
The Council also violated regulations by making the appointment effective immediately, rather than following the required timeline. The Public
Protector concluded that the conduct of the Council constituted maladministration and
improper conduct.
The Premier of the
Northern Cape and the MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human
Settlements, Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), and Transport, Safety, and Liaison have been
directed to submit implementation plans for remedial action, including but not limited to, the recommended training to Councillors to avoid future recurrences of the improper conduct and maladministration. In addition, the Municipal Manager must develop a proposal for training for councillors to avoid future recurrences of this improper conduct and maladministration.
Allegations of irregularities in the appointment of Ms Fezeka Nkomonye as Executive Manager: Corporate Services were found to be unsubstantiated.
The Public Protector investigation confirmed that Ms. Nkomonye met the advertised
qualifications and experience requirements, which were independently verified. She was the
highest-scoring candidate recommended by the selection panel, and the Speaker of the
Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature lawfully exercised her discretion in appointing her. The
Public Protector found no evidence of impropriety or procedural irregularities in the
recruitment process.
Other reports :
Other reports finalised and signed by the Public Protector during the reporting period include:
Report No: 23– Dlamini v Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure
Report No: 24– Makobe// Emfuleni Local Municipality
Report No: 27– Beaumont// Newcastle Municipality
Report No: 29– Sadiki//Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
To access the full reports and more details on the activities of the Public Protector, visit the
PPSA website at www.pprotect.org .
PPSA investigations are independent, impartial and are approached using an enquiry
process that seeks to determine what happened, what should have happened, if there is a
discrepancy between what happened and what should have happened, and whether a
deviation amounts to maladministration, improper conduct and/or undue delay?
The question regarding what happened is resolved through a factual enquiry relying on the evidence provided by the parties and independently sourced by the PPSA during the
investigation.
