STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY OF LENNOX GARANE
#RIPLennoxGarane #ProtestSuicide #AccountabilityNow We wish to extend our sincere condolences to the Garane family for their tragic loss. Lennox Garane, a senior public sector manager, spent 30 years working in developmental organisations, including Kagiso Trust, the National Development Agency, the Development Bank of South Africa, and the Parliament of RSA. Lennox Garane’s final wish was to draw attention to the systemic abuse of power within the Parliament Administration, and its devastating consequences for the institution and South Africa. “My father told us that the whole system in our Parliament is broken. And he was despondent and did not believe that there is any will by ALL charged with responsibility to change the situation. Rather, maintaining this situation was to their benefit because it kept them powerful. My father’s death should be seen exactly as he said it was – A PROTEST SUICIDE. Certainly not a protest against contract non-renewal but a protest against the politicization of the administration, gross abuse of power and a complete disregard of human rights and dignity”. [September 2014] We have received an open letter of support and a briefing from a collective of former managers of the Administration of the Parliament who are united in expressing support to the family of Lennox Garane and are willing to testify to their direct experience of the toxic workplace environment in the Parliament Administration during the 5thDemocratic Parliament. Their collective experience, together with the substantial evidence of abuse of power outlined in Parliament’s Independent Audit report of 2017, which is a matter of public and court record, points to a systemic problem. We note and support the Garane family’s call for: – 2. The Executive Authority, the Secretaries to Parliament and the senior managers, where found to be responsible for abuse of power within the Administration, to be held to account. 3. An urgent legislative and institutional review of oversight and accountability statutes and mechanisms for the Parliament Administration as a priority for the 6thDemocratic Parliament. The IJR and DOI will be convening an urgent Forum on Accountability of the Parliament Administration[FAPA] for civil society and the media on 22 January at the offices of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation to develop a civil society approach to Parliament Administration Accountability. The5thDemocratic Parliamentis coming to an end within the next three months. The6thDemocratic Parliamentwill be installed by June 2019. The legacy to be bequeathed to the new Parliament is tainted by a decade of State Capture. To make sure that the same issues that bedeviled the 5thDemocratic Parliament are addressed in as a priority of the 6thDemocratic Parliament we intend to prepare a civil society report on the issues raised in the forum. We hope to be joined by a broad coalition of CSO and stakeholders in this important national quest to fix our Parliament. The forum will include representatives from civil society organisations and the media to share our experiences and provide public policy experts and social justice activists in the field of accountability the Constitution and oversight with a platform to comment on the serious challenges facing the Parliamentary Administration in the wake of Lennox Garane’s death by Protest Suicide, and its impact on the country’s state of governance. The preamble to the Constitution is the founding vision of the Democratic South Africa. We, the people of South Africa, Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights; May God protect our people. Joint Statement issued by Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Dullah Omar Institute, Parliamentary Monitoring Group, Public Service Accountability Monitor
INVITATION TO PUBLIC FORUM Notable persons, civil society organisations, public policy experts; social justice activists working in the field of public accountability and the Constitution are invited to participate in the forum to discuss the crisis in the Parliament Administration and its national consequences. The Parliamentary Gallery Association [PGA] is invited to reflect on its role in covering the Administration. Media are welcome to attend the Forum. The Garane family and former managers will share testimony of abuse of power and present their case for the public interest matter. Date: 22 January 2018 Time: 13:30 – 16:30 Venue: Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, 105 Hatfield Street, Gardens
MEDIA BRIEFING – 16:00 – 16:30 A press conference will be held at 16:00 where the spokespersons of the convening organisations, representatives of the Garane Family and former Managers of Parliament will take questions on the record. For info on the Forum or to RSVP please email FAPASouthAfrica@gmail.com Media inquires for the CSO convening organisations: Institute for Justice and Reconciliation: Sam Kambule 0828432732 Dullah Omar Institute: Sam Waterhouse 0845229646 Public Service Accountability Monitor: Jay Kruuse 0828805407 |
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