| (1) | A person may lodge a complaint at— |
| (a) | the national, provincial and regional offices of the Public Protector, but preferably in the area where the incident or conduct complained of, took place; |
| (b) | any service point established by the Public Protector, including outreach clinics and outreach events conducted by the Public Protector or any person to whom the Public Protector has delegated powers in terms of the Act; and |
| (c) | any other office designated by the Public Protector as a place where complaints may be lodged in terms of section 6 of the Act. |
| (a) | The Public Protector may transfer a complaint for investigation from the office where it was lodged to any other office, if he or she deems it fit. |
| (b) | The Public Protector shall in writing inform the complainant of any transfer in terms of sub-rule (a), within the timeframe specified in the Public Protector Service Standards but not later than 14 days after receipt. |
[Rule 3(2)(a) and (b) substituted by section 5 of Notice No. 1047, GG43758, dated 2 October 2020]
