GAUTENG LEGISLATURE PROCLAIMS WAR ON PETITONS’ BACKLOG IN SEDIBENG
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) has proclaimed to resolve all of the Sedibeng region’s adopted yet longstanding service delivery-related petitions over an imminent two-day public hearing.
Conducted in a hybrid format, the public hearing will be held at the Vereeniging Civic Centre from Friday 20 to Saturday 21 August 2021.
The Joint Oversight led by the Office of GPL’s Chairperson of Committees will focus on 19 petitions adopted between 2005 and 2020, which cover issues ranging from City by-law enforcement, encroachment issues, allocations of incorrect title deeds, RDP requests, municipal billing issues, unlawful liquor outlets and speed control issues. The Petitions Standing Committee (PSC) has adopted a total of 71 petitions from the Sedibeng region, including those adopted as recently as June 2021. Through this one of a kind Joint Oversight, led by the Office of the Chairperson’s Committee, the focus will be on the 19 selected petitions but the invited authorities will be implored to attend to all of Sedibeng petitions and expedite their resolution.
GPL aims to fast track the resolution of Residents’ petitions to address service delivery challenges in communities while strengthening the capacity of the Provincial Government and Municipalities to deliver on their mandates.
The right to petition is protected in sections 17, 115, 118, and 195 of the South African Constitution, and the Gauteng Petitions’ Act (5 of 2002). It is important for Gauteng communities to know their right to petition the Provincial Government and municipalities, and are thus entitled to having their grievances attended to. Platforms must be created for residents to be involved in matters that concern them and their communities, and hold authorities to account – not merely during the electioneering period but also beyond.
GPL has ensured that all Mayors in the Sedibeng district, Gauteng MECs and Senior officials are on hand to address the 19 petitioners and resolve petitions pertaining to their respective portfolios. The envisaged outcome at the end of the two-day hearings is the resolutions of petitions on the spot, with some possibly being closed in the near future.
The petitions’ public hearing will be live on the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Social Media pages as follows:
Friday, 20 August 2021: YouTube (Sesssion 1: https://youtu.be/RT6LZYdjJws, Session 2: https://youtu.be/XDkIlvIu4EE)
Saturday, 21 August 2021: YouTube (link: https://youtu.be/EeSq-Yx57vg ; Facebook page Link https://fb.me/e/dQFbTCXcr
Time: 9am to 3pm on both days.
Due to Covid19 regulations, numbers of attendees at the venue will be strictly controlled. Members of the media who wish to attend in person at the Vereeniging Civic Centre and for interview queries can contact Ms Thabisile Nzuke on 082 619 4411 or TNzuke@gpl.gov.za
