Newsletter from the Office of the City Ombudsman, Cape Town Issue 5 June 2008

It’s not just the chilly weather that’s starting to get to us! Most of us have felt a chill of a different kind this year, with the rising cost of living leaving us feeling gloomy and hopeless. We have also been left with a sour taste after the xenophobic attacks on our brothers and sisters from neighbouring countries. The good news is that we can make this winter more bearable by saving electricity (which will save us money), and doing more to help make the lives of others better. Let’s all embrace the spirit of Ubuntu (see our insert below). Things have also been heating up in the Office of the City Ombudsman, as we now have 11 staff members. In addition, we have made several important national and international linkages. Till next time, stay warm and take care. In this issue: Meet the team International linkages National linkages Service learning project Statistics for the first three quarters of the 2007/08 financial year Some power saving tips How can you help

Meet the team that ‘Puts the People First'… the Ombudsman's Team! The Ombudsman’s Office was founded in 2002 in response to the City’s need for an independent dispute resolution mechanism that could investigate and resolve service complaints. Central to this role is the facilitation of solution oriented processes such as mediation and conciliation. The Office encourages customers to first attempt to solve their problems by phoning the City’s call centre or the City department in question. Should such efforts prove unsuccessful, the Ombudsman’s Office is the next step in the process, and welcomes customers’ calls. So if you have any complaints about poor or unjust service, contact our office, where we put you first!

Front from left: David Phiri (Assistant Investigating Officer), Clarissa Williams (Ombuds Officer), Natasha Paulse (Project Officer), Carla Fredericks (Support Assistant), Mbulelo Baba (City Ombudsman), Lorika Elliott (Manager: Internal Ombudsing). Back from left: Nomathamsanqa Nohaba (Investigating Officer), Mandlenkosi Mgogoshe (Compliance Officer), Michael Harris (Investigating Officer), Malcolm Fritz (Investigating Officer), Helene Coutinho (Manager: External Ombudsing and Investigations)

International linkages As part of our initiative of forging linkages with the international community of ‘Ombudsing’, in January a group from our office met with David Bristow, a member of a Toronto-based Alternative Dispute Resolution group, Team Resolution. Mr Bristow has a wealth of experience in commercial arbitration and mediation, as well as other alternative dispute resolution proceedings, and he shared many of his insights and experiences with us. In February our office had an opportunity to meet with another Canadian ‘ombuds’, the Honourable Mr Justice, Judge Sol LoVecchio. Judge LoVecchio is a Supreme Court Judge who is involved in judicial dispute resolution in Canada. He has been involved in several high profile cases and is at the forefront of dispute resolution. David Bristow and Sol LoVecchio continue to provide our Office with research and information on dispute resolution and related topics to enhance the services we provide.
From left: Mbulelo Baba and David Bristow	Back from left: Clarissa Williams, Mbulelo Baba, David Bristow, Mandlenkosi Mgogoshe Front from left: Lorika Elliott and Helene Coutinho
From left: Judge Sol LoVecchio and Mbulelo Baba(City Ombudsman)	Back from left: Helene Coutinho, Lorika Elliott and Clarissa Williams Front from left: Judge Sol LoVecchio and Mbulelo Baba (City Ombudsman)

National linkages Visit to eThekwini Ombuds Office In April, Mandlenkosi Mgogoshe, Compliance Officer in our Office, visited eThekwini Municipality in Durban to review a cooperative agreement and share experiences and best practices between the two municipalities. The Durban Office shared its performance standards with Mgogoshe, as well as its linkages with other public institutions within and outside its boundaries. Mgogoshe also looked at the way in which the Durban Office manages its public profile, and how it operates. He has in turn brought these lessons home to our Office, and we will use them to set up higher standards of service delivery. ‘It was encouraging for me to see the set-up and engage with the officials, especially in terms of challenges and stumbling blocks their office had to overcome,' says Mandlenkosi. The two Offices discussed ways to achieve higher levels of service delivery and assist the City in fulfilling its constitutional and legislative obligations to communities. Future visits are planned to the Namibian and Breede Valley Municipality Ombudsman.
From left: Bheki Mkhize (Ombudsperson) and Mandlenkosi Mgogoshe	From left: Mandla Madlala, Bheki Mkhize (Ombudsperson) Mandla Mgogoshe, Nhlanhla Mthethwa and Ray Zungu

Service learning Project The Service Learning Project is an informal partnership between the City Ombudsman and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), where students take what they have learned in their classes and put it to use in the local community. In May, second-year Public Management students from CPUT attended a training and orientation session at the City. After presentations by Natasha Paulse from this Office, and Jacqui Scheepers from CPUT, the group visited the Town Centre Library in Mitchells Plain and Langa Clinic, to interact with the community and ascertain their needs in terms of service delivery. The visits helped to create awareness among the community about the role of the Office, and gave students the opportunity to learn though experience. Some community members, especially in the Langa area, had never heard of the City Ombudsman, indicating that there is a clear need for more such initiatives. Unless people know about the Office, they are not able to benefit from its services.
Visit to Town Centre Library: CPUT students	CPUT students engaging with community members at Gugu’s Thebe Cultural Centre in Langa

Statistics for the first three quarters of 2007/08 financial year July to September 2007 (Quarter 1) Between July and September 2007, our office dealt with 261 complaints, which represents a slight decrease from the previous quarter’s total of 280. October to December 2007 (Quarter 2) During this time the Office dealt with 439 complaints, compared to 261 complaints in the first quarter. This is a substantial increase of 68%, partially the result of our new location on the concourse level, as well as greater public awareness due to our recent advocacy initiatives. January to March 2008 (Quarter 3) The Office dealt with 618 complaints in this quarter, compared to 439 complaints in the previous quarter. Once again, this increase – by 41% – is most likely a result of greater awareness among the public and the office’s more accessible premises. On average a provisional view or progress report was given within 34 days from the date of receipt of the complaint. This is a significant improvement compared to the previous quarter’s average of 44 days, especially in view of the increased caseload. Nevertheless the Office of the Ombudsman is working towards lowering this to 30 days. During this quarter 55% of the cases lodged were resolved. Again, this is a considerable improvement on the previous quarter’s achievement of 34%. The situation has been gradually improving since the filling of the critical staff vacancies.

On a different note… power saving tips South Africa has recently been hit by severe power outages and this has caused everyone to start wondering about alternative sources of energy. Like it or not, the power cuts are here to stay, and if you are not interested in changing your current usage patterns, you will probably be paying much more for the same privileges anyway. The following are some examples of what can be done in your home and at the office to become more energy efficient: AT HOME When you are not using your cellphone charger, unplug it from the wall - it still draws power if it’s just sitting there, unused Switch off one piece of electrical equipment before switching to another. Switch off all appliances at the wall when you’re not using them, especially during peak hours (toasters, tumble dryers, dishwashers) Use your pool pump for two hours less every day. Cover your pool in winter - This will keep your pool cleaner and put less strain on the pump. If you service the pump and clean the filter regularly, you can save up to R420 per year Avoid leaving your fridge door open and letting cool air escape. Wait for hot food to cool down before putting it into the fridge, and replace worn seals on the door. If you are going on holiday, switch it off (or use the ‘vacation’ setting, if it has one) Use your kettle to boil water, rather than the stove. Never fill the kettle if you are only going to make one cup of tea. When you put water in the kettle, only use cold water, as each time you use the hot tap energy is consumed WHILE AT THE OFFICE Make sure your computer monitors are switched off when you’re not using them, as this saves energy and can prevent a damaging power surge on your valuable equipment Shut down data projectors and computers completely when not in use (this may also prevent power surges) Install motor speed controllers in the air conditioning system Switch off all office equipment (when you’re not using it, of course!) Source: http://www.capegateway.gov.za/eng/pubs/public_info/E/135899#safety

How can you help! Collect clothing, blankets or non perishables for the needy, and take these to your nearest shelter or collection point. Host a small fundraising event amongst friends or colleagues to raise awareness and much needed money for charity organisations Volunteer your time at your nearest shelter Give to your local community or charity rather than giving money to people on the streets. An organised response is more effective See the following websites on how you can make a difference: http://www.capeetc.com/a-list/how-to-help/ http://www.charitysa.co.za/children.html

Contact us You can contact the Office of the City Ombudsman on 021 400 5487 or visit the website www.capetown.gov.za/en/CityOmbudsman/Pages/default.aspx If you would prefer not to receive Ombudsman Writes, please reply to this e-mail with Unsubscribe in the subject line.