R118 million budget increase needed for Public Protector to combat corruption: DA
A budget increase of R118 million is needed for the Public Protector to combat corruption‚ the Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister of justice‚ Adv Glynnis Breytenbach‚ said on Tuesday.Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the department of justice and constitutional development budget vote‚ Breytenbach said that in the 2016/2017 budget the Public Protector had received R262 million‚ which equated to a real increase of a paltry 0.39%‚ adjusted for inflation.It was worth noting‚ she added‚ that the sharp decrease in the funding of the office of the Public Protector‚ despite approved posts remaining unfilled‚ appeared to coincide with key events on the timeline of her report on the Nkandla saga‚ “Secure in Comfort”.To adequately fund the Public Protector’s office would cost less than half of what was splurged at Nkandla‚ Breytenbach asserted.She said the Constitution made it clear in s182 (4) that the Public Protector must be accessible to all persons and communities.But 12 offices had been suspended and four closed or moved. Only seven provincial offices remained open‚ she said.Unless and until the Public Protector received proper funding for these offices‚ South Africans‚ particularly poorer rural South Africans‚ would struggle to access her services...
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