As part of the Office of the Ombudsman’s 30th Anniversary commemorations the office will be organising a Thematic Lecture focusing on the mandate of the Ombudsman. This event will highlight the crucial principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability within public administration. It will be held on 12th June 2025 in the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives in Malta, under the theme “Transparency, Fairness, Accountability: Cornerstones of Good Administration—The Mandate of the Ombudsman.”

The Office of the Ombudsman is honoured to welcome Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka, the Public Protector of South Africa, as keynote speaker following an invitation by the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon, Advocate Gcaleka will share invaluable insights drawn from her extensive legal and executive experience.

This event will also be addressed by the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Anglu Farrugia, and the Parliamentary Ombudsman of Malta, Judge Emeritus Joseph Zammit McKeon. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with both Advocate Gcaleka and the Parliamentary Ombudsman through a Q&A session following the keynote lecture, offering a valuable platform to discuss best practices in upholding good governance and protecting citizens’ rights.

This Thematic Lecture marks the first event in a series planned for the 30th Anniversary of the Office of the Ombudsman. Over the past three decades, the institution has remained steadfast in its mission to promote a responsive and transparent public administration, serving as an impartial channel to address grievances and uphold the highest ethical standards in governance.

Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka, Public Protector of South Africa

Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka resumed her career as an aspirant prosecutor in 2004 and left the National Prosecuting Authority in 2016 as a Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions after 10 years of her 12 years prosecutions and executive management at the High Court level.

She thereafter was employed as the Special Advisor to the Ministers for the Department of Public Service and Administration; Department of Home Affairs and Department of Finance in the republic of South Africa respectively – with a specific focus in the areas of administration, legal, legislation and policy development, strategy, compliance, and governance. Adv. Gcaleka, served on the Committee of Enquiry probing the state of affairs of municipalities across Gauteng. She has also served on various boards and is currently a board member of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), a member of the United Nations Working Group of the International Ombudsman Institute and is the Chairperson of the African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC). She is also the co-drafter of the Africa Peer Review Mechanism South African Charter of the National General Council. She was recently elected as the Regional President of the International Ombudsman Institute’s African Region. Advocate Gcaleka, the Public Protector of South Africa now spans 20 years of legal experience.

She is the former first black female National Chairperson of the Society of State Advocates. Adv. Gcaleka holds a LLB Degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a LLM with her dissertation titled “Impact of the financial intelligence centre act and the risk-based approach on the closing of bank accounts” in Commercial Law from the University of Johannesburg and is the Public Protector of the Republic of South Africa.

Register your participation here