South Africa's celebrated public protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela returned to Grahamstown for the second time this year.
South Africa's celebrated public protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela returned to Grahamstown for the second time this year.
Her second visit wasn't much different to the first in terms of people's comments about the work her office has done since she took over from the lesser known Lawrence Mushwana in 2009.
Madonsela received praise from the people who attended the lecture. It is was clear from the lecture during question time that the people in attendance observed big changes in the office of the public protector after Madonsela took over.
Madonsela was the main speaker during the Rhodes Business School inaugural Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust lecture at the Barratt Lecture Theatre at Rhodes University.
The public protector's talk on Friday was centred on values-based leadership. At times she also talked about leadership in general. She said she had often heard people speak about a lack of leadership in the country and throughout the world, but she said she believed that leadership starts with everyone whether 'we' are in positions of leadership or not.
"You often hear complaints of lack of leadership the world over. But regardless of where we are we always lead. The only problem is bad leadership," she said. "We influence people in one way or another. People follow what you do and not what you say a lot of the time," she added.
During her talk Madonsela also took time to explain to the audience the role of her office. "My office as you know is called the public protector; it is established under Section 182 of the constitution. It has administrative power, it tells public functionaries what they did was wrong or what they did was right," she said.
She said her office comes at the level of horizontal accountability. "And you will agree with me that without value-based leadership my office would not be able to function because we jointly fight crime."
Madonsela said she did not want to talk too much about her office because of time, but she explained that her office has a mandate. "That mandate is to report abuse of power, maladministration and many other things," she said. The public protector said she would not venture into a discussion about where the powers of the public protector end.
"I don't want to dwell too much on that because the lecture is sub judice." Madonsela spoke highly of the country's constitution, describing it as groundbreaking.
"Our country has a groundbreaking constitution that promises everyone quality of life." Madonsela praised the work done by the team around her, saying the work she does is not the result of a solo effort.
She said the decisions that she makes are concluded with the team she works with. She said everyone deserves the right to have their matter heard in a court of law, according to the constitution.
Friday marked the 15th anniversary of the Rhodes Business School. At the event Madonsela received the Anglican Church of South Africa's Archbishop's Award for Peace with Justice, from Makgoba.
anele@grocotts.co.za
