Lodge a complaint
If you have lodged a complaint with a City department and they haven’t responded sufficiently, you can contact the Office of the City Ombudsman to investigate your matter further.
How to lodge a complaint
international ombuds day 2024
Join us in celebrating
International Ombuds Day and lodge your complaints with the Office of the City Ombudsman (OCO) and the right regulatory bodies this October.
You should only lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman if:
- the department that you have submitted a complaint to has not responded sufficiently,
- you are dissatisfied with the outcome, or
- you are unhappy with the level of service delivery.
The Ombudsman is an official appointed by the City to independently investigate complaints you may have about City departments and staff.
Upon receipt of your complaint, the Office of the Ombudsman will assess the matter to determine jurisdiction as per the
City Ombudsman By-law (2015) ,
Amendment By-law (2016) and
policy, and will notify you of the outcome.
On average, the turnaround time is up to three months from complaint to resolution, if the complaint is not complex and the complainant has submitted their documents timeously.
The Ombudsman cannot replace or perform the functions of the
City departments.
- any legislative or executive decisions by the Council, any of its portfolio committees or subcouncils;
- any matter involving allegation of fraud, corruption or corporate crime as referred to in the City’s
Fraud Prevention Policy;
- any matter or dispute that must be dealt with or settled within the field of labour law;
- any allegation relating to financial irregularities;
- any cases where the complainant has not reported the matter to the line department first;
- any alleged irregular conduct of a councillor;
- any complaint which is vexatious or frivolous;
- any tender-related matter; and
- administrative appeals.
Remember
You must first approach the relevant City department with your complaint. You may then approach the Ombudsman as a last resort, and you will need to provide proof of contacting the department.
Contact the Ombudsman
You can submit complaints via one of the channels below:
In person
Visit our office at the address below to complete the complaint form in person:
The Ombudsman
Third floor Tower Block
Cape Town Civic Centre
12 Hertzog Boulevard
Cape Town
8001
Email
Email your complaint to
ombudsdirect@capetown.gov.za.
Fax
Fax your complaint to
021 400 5952.
Make sure you describe your complaint in detail, including:
- the name(s) of the official(s) involved;
- what happened;
- any relevant dates and times; and
- any relevant documentation or evidence.
Download the complaint form (English |
Afrikaans |
isiXhosa).
Submit complaints online
Visit the eOmbud portal to submit your complaint online.
The Office of the Ombudsman will assess your complaint to determine whether it can assist. If we are unable to assist, we will direct you to the appropriate department or institution.
Document downloads
-
Batho Pele FAQs and Guidelines
01/01/2016, Guideline,FAQs - 118 KB
Ombudsman Office Complaint Form (Afrikaans)
10/01/2023, Complaint form - 1.3 MB
Ombudsman Office Complaint Form (English)
10/01/2023, Complaint form - 721.3 KB
Ombudsman Office Complaint Form (Xhosa)
10/01/2023, Complaint form - 801.4 KB
Ombudsman Office FAQs (Afrikaans)
14/03/2024, FAQs,Pamphlet - 323.5 KB
Ombudsman Office FAQs (English)
14/03/2024, FAQs,Pamphlet - 391 KB
Ombudsman Office FAQs (isiXhosa)
14/03/2024, FAQs,Pamphlet - 302.9 KB
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