The North-West University (NWU) is excited to announce that plans are afoot for a groundbreaking partnership with the Public Protector South Africa (PPSA).

The move follows an undertaking by the Public Protector Adv Kholeka Gcaleka during the public lecture she delivered at the Mahikeng Campus on Thursday, 11 July 2024.

As a strategic directive, the PPSA aims to partner with higher education institutions to expand the reach of its services to vulnerable communities across the country. During the lecture, Adv Gcaleka indicated that the PPSA was committed to collaborating with the NWU on areas of mutual interest.

The proposed partnership between the university and the constitutional institution will expose NWU students to the PPSA through job shadowing exercises.

It will further allow both institutions to collaborate in outreach and advocacy through law clinics, monthly webinars and a proposed specific course focusing on ombudmanship.

The PPSA is a member of the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), a continental body of public protector-like institutions with a mandate to promote human rights, good governance, and the rule of law. The AOMA has a research center based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.