SHEILA MHLONGO
I-Public Protector South Africa, esebenza njengoSihlalo we-African Ombudsman Research Centre, iphinde yethula ngokusemthethweni i-AORC e-University of KwaZulu-Natal. Lo mcimbi osezingeni eliphezulu uhlelwe ngokubambisana ne-Department of International Relations and Cooperation, i-International Ombudsman Institute kanye ne-UKZN.
Ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi: “Ukusebenzisa Amandla e-Ombudsman Ukuqinisa Ukuphatha Nokuthuthukisa ama-SDG e-Afrika”, lo mcimbi wokwethulwa kabusha uhlanganise nohlelo lokuqeqesha olusezingeni eliphezulu lwezinhlaka zama-Ombudsman, abaVikeli Bomphakathi, abenzi bezinqubomgomo, amalungu e-African Peer Review Mechanism, izifundiswa kanye nochwepheshe bezokuphatha abavela kuwo wonke amazwe ase-Afrika. Inhloso bekuwukuqinisa indima ebalulekile yezikhungo zokubhekwa kwezokuphatha ekukhuthazeni ukusebenza ngokusobala, kanye nokuphatha okunobuqotho ezwenikazi.
I-AORC, eyasungulwa eminyakeni engu-15 edlule e-UKZN, ibe negalelo elikhulu ekuhlomiseni izikhungo zama-ombudsman e-Afrika ngolwazi, amakhono kanye nocwaningo oludingekayo ukweseka imisebenzi yazo. Njengengalo yocwaningo nokuqeqesha ye-African Ombudsman and Mediators Association, ukuvulwa kabusha kwalesi sikhungo kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile ekuqineni kokubambisana nasekuqiniseni izikhungo zokubhekwa kwezokuphatha e-Afrika, kuphinde kuqinise ukuzibophezela ekwandiseni ukufinyelela kwezinhlelo zokuqeqesha.
Umsebenzi omusha wesikhungo ugcizelela imizamo yokunika amandla izikhungo zama-Ombudsman nabavikeli bomphakathi ukuze ziqinise ukubonakala obala, ukuphatha ngobuqotho kanye nobulungiswa kwezokuphatha. Lokhu kubalulekile ngesikhathi amazwe amaningi ase-Afrika ebhekene nengcindezi yokulwa nenkohlakalo, ukuvikela ababikayo (whistleblowers) kanye nokubuyisela ukwethenjwa komphakathi. Ngamafuphi, lokhu kuwuphawu lokuzibophezela okusha ekwakheni izinhlelo zokuphatha eziqinile, ezibophezele futhi eziphendula izidingo zabantu.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlelo zocwaningo nokuqeqesha zizosekela imisebenzi esemthethweni yezikhungo zokuqashwa kwezokuphatha, ziqinise amandla azo okuphenya nokubheka, kanye nokusiza ekusebenzeni kwe-Agenda 2063 kanye nezinhloso ze-United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, kanye nokuqapha imiphumela yokulethwa kwezinsiza ngokuhambisana nama-SDG.
Ekhuluma enkulumweni eyinhloko, iPhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezobulungiswa Nokuthuthukiswa Komthethosisekelo, u-Andries Nel, uthe: “Izikhungo zama-Ombudsman, abaxazululi bezingxabano (Mediators) kanye nabaVikeli Bomphakathi zidlala indima ebalulekile ekuthuthukiseni i-Agenda 2063 kanye nezinhloso zeZizwe Ezihlangene, ikakhulukazi i-SDG 16 egxile ekuthuthukiseni ukuthula, ubulungiswa kanye nezikhungo eziqinile.” Uphinde wagcizelela ukubaluleka kophenyo oluqondene nezinhlelo olubambe iqhaza ekuqiniseni ukuvikelwa kwamalungelo abantu, ikakhulukazi maqondana nodlame olubhekiswe kwabesifazane kanye nokubulawa kwabesifazane (femicide), okumenyezelwe njengenkinga enkulu kazwelonke eNingizimu Afrika.
IPhini likaSekela-Shansela obambile kweZocwaningo nokuSungula e-(Research and Innovation UKZN), uSolwazi Anil Chuturgoon, uthe ukuvulwa kabusha kwe-AORC kubonisa ukuzibophezela kozakwethu ekuqiniseni umsebenzi, ukujulisa intando yeningi kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi izikhungo zomphakathi ziphendula izidingo zabantu abazisebenzelayo. Uthe e-Afrika yonke, izikhungo zama-Ombudsman zinomthwalo omkhulu wokwenza lo msebenzi.
Uqhubeke wathi: “Njengesikhungo semfundo esiziqhenyayo ngobuzwe base-Afrika futhi esigxile ocwaningweni oluphendula izinselelo zangempela, lo mcimbi ukhombisa ukuthi singobani nokuthi simeleni. E-UKZN sikholelwa ukuthi ulwazi kumele luguqulwe lube izikhungo, izinqubomgomo kanye nezindlela zokusebenza ezithuthukisa impilo yabantu. I-Africa Ombudsman Research Centre, ngaphansi kweSikole Sezomthetho sethu, iwuphawu lale ndlela.”
UMvikeli Womphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika kanye noSihlalo Webhodi le-AORC, u-Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, uthe iNingizimu Afrika iyaziqhenya ngokudlala indima ebalulekile kulolu hlelo nokwabelana ngolwazi lwayo ukuze kuthuthukiswe intando yeningi emazweni ase-Afrika. Uthe lokhu kuzokwenza ukuthi izakhamuzi zikwazi ukubamba ohulumeni bazo zibe nesibopho. Uphinde waveza ukuthi i-AORC isihambise uhlaka lwesinqumo ku-DIRCO ukuze lucutshungulwe futhi lulethwe ku-African Union Commission. “Izikhungo zama-Ombudsman kumele zizibeke njengabaholi bokuphatha kahle e-Afrika,” kuphetha yena.
Ikhishwe ngu:
Ubudlelwano Bezinkampani
I-University of KwaZulu-Natal
