TAKING THE LEGISLATURE TO THE PEOPLE
MPL HOSTS "TAKING THE LEGISLATURE TO THE PEOPLE" (TLP) PROGRAMME.
The Speaker of Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, Ms MC Masilela together with Members of the Provincial Legislature and Members of the Executive Council (MECs) undertook the week-long programme of Taking the Legislature to the People of Dr Pixley kaIsaka Seme Local Municipality in Gert Sibande District Municipality from 09 – 13 May 2022.
Section 118 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides for legislatures and the national Parliament to facilitate public involvement in legislative and other processes of their committees. It also provides for legislatures to conduct their businesses in an open manner, and to hold their sittings and those of committees in public.
In line with the above piece of legislation, the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature adopted an initiative called Taking Legislature to the People. Through this initiative, the Legislature extends its sittings to local areas. The Legislature designates a certain district as its destination for the Taking Legislature to the People program which takes place twice a year. The aim of this initiative is to ensure that all citizens of Mpumalanga are able to interact directly with their elected representatives in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature, as well as to expose citizens to the various processes of the Legislature. Through the programme, the Legislature exercises its constitutional obligation to oversee government programmes. This programme is embarked on to fulfil the Legislature’s desire to address the issues affecting people on the ground, who have not yet achieved optimal service delivery levels.
The purpose of this programme is to ensure that, Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature educate and encourages public participation in all its programmes thereby deepening democracy. Some of the predominant issues raised during the oversight visits to different government-funded projects and public hearings in Daggakraal include stock theft, poor road infrastructure, the issue of having a designated truck stop to avoid trucks parking alongside the road which ends up being a vicinity for crime, a request for a mall for easy access and job creation, safety and security in the schools, high rate of youth unemployment and racism in the farming areas as well as a need for a hospital.
The above-mentioned issues were raised in great detail during the public hearing and Members of the Executive Council (MECs) in their different portfolios and both the Executive Mayors from the District and Local Municipality responded with diligence and promised to address the issues of the community of Dr Pixley Isaka kaSeme.
Premier Refilwe Mtshweni during her closing address overemphasised the importance of public participation and involvement in government processes as a platform created primarily to influence decision-making processes that reflect the will of the people. She went on to outline some of the key initiatives that the different government departments have put in place to improve service delivery in the Dr Pixley kaIsaka Seme Local Municipality. Some of the initiatives include the improvement of Vukuzakhe, Wakkerstroom, Daggakraal and Sinqobile access roads infrastructure; the youth development fund to deal with the high youth unemployment rate.
“As the ANC led government, we will remain tireless in our efforts to improve the quality of life for the people of Daggakraal and Dr Pixley kaIsaka Seme”, concluded Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane.
Issued by: Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature Ms Zamagambu Memela-Gamede
Senior Manager: Communications
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