On 28 March 2022, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) met with the Premier of the North-West Province, Honourable Bushy Maape, and the MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Honourable Lena Miga, in Mahikeng. The meeting sought mainly to enhance cooperation in improving service delivery through good governance, accountability and consequences management in local government in the Province.
At the meeting, the SAHRC presented on the myriad failures of municipalities in the North-West Province to deliver basic municipal services, such as water, sanitation, refuse removal and electricity as prescribed by the Constitution and various statutes, such as the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 amongst others. The meeting stressed the tendency of municipalities to treat complaints, allegations, and recommendations of the SAHRC with impunity and non-responsiveness. Furthermore, the SAHRC noted the positive impact of recent interventions such as those initiated according to Section 100 of the Constitution, and urged the Provincial leadership to sustain such efforts through close monitoring and strengthened accountability systems. In turn, the Premier and MEC shared the various initiatives launched to address service delivery challenges in the Province, including the Accelerated Service Delivery Programme, Operational Centre on Water Service Delivery, as well as efforts to leverage on the District Development Model.
The meeting agreed that in order to dismantle the historic, systematic cultures of corruption, greed, and complacency which plague the Provincial administration of the North-West, stronger and more efficient systems of consequence management and monitoring would have to be established and sustained. Towards this, the SAHRC, the Premier and the MEC committed to initiating a monitoring and reporting system. Within this system, enhanced, and clear lines of communication and access to information between the SAHRC, the Premier’s Office, the Office of the MEC, Local Municipalities, and Communities would be established. To its realisation, the following resolutions will be implemented in the immediate and short-terms:
1. Introducing a referral system from the SAHRC to the Provincial Administration to ensure speedy resolutions of complaints of human rights violations;
2. Instilling monthly meetings between the senior management in the Office of the Premier, COGHSTA and the SAHRC to operationalise the resolutions and monitor the implementation of the referral system;
3. Quarterly meetings between the Premier, MEC and Commissioner Philile Ntuli, who oversees matters pertaining to Local Governance Systems in the SAHRC, with / or other Commissioners; and
4. The Office of the Premier to provide a copy of the Mafereka Commission of Inquiry Report to the SAHRC.
Affected communities in the North-West Province will be continuously appraised of the status of their complaints, and the outcomes of monthly and quarterly meetings.
-ENDS-
Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573 gbrooks@sahrc.org.za