PASSING AWAY OF PRINCE LETHUKUTHULA ZULU
08 November 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit
PASSING AWAY OF PRINCE LETHUKUTHULA ZULU
The KZN Legislature has learned with shock and sadness of the passing on of Prince Lethukuthula Zulu, the eldest son of His Majesty Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Her Majesty Queen Sibongile MaDlamini.
The KZN Legislature would like to convey the deepest condolences to His Majesty Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Her Majesty Queen Sibongile MaDlamini and the entire Zulu Royal Family.
KZN Legislature has a very good relationship with the Zulu Royal Family which has spanned several decades.
It is through this relationship that His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini annually delivers an address to the legislature marking the beginning of the legislature calendar.
Members and officials of the KZN Legislature will keep the Zulu Royal Family in their prayers through this difficult period.
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Issued by the KZN Legislature Communications Unit
For more information please contact Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND NCOP PERMANENT DELEGATES CONDUCT OVERSIGHT VISITS TO ASSESS THE FUNCTIONALITY OF WAR ROOMS IN ALL MUNICIPALITIES
From 27 -29 October 2020, various delegations of Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature and KwaZulu-Natal Permanent Delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) conducted oversight visits to all municipalities in KZN to assess the functionality of war-rooms as coordinating centres of service delivery at a local level.
War-rooms are a vehicle that coordinates and facilitates integrated service delivery at a ward level and provide quick responses to dire needs for services to communities. They profile households in their wards and the level of service delivery per household, with specific reference to the eradication of poverty and the general improvement of the quality of life.
This week Members of the Legislature and NCOP Permanent Delegates visited the war-rooms to assess their functionality, with special focus on the participation and the role played by key stakeholders such as provincial and national departments of Social Development, Education, Health, Transport, Human Settlement, SAPS, Agriculture, COGTA, SASSA, Home Affairs, District and Local Municipalities, Councillors, Amakhosi as well as local community structures such as ward committees.
The visits to war rooms have identified a number of challenges that hinder the effective functioning of the war rooms at a ward level in various municipalities. Some of the challenges include lack of participation and attendance of war room meetings by some departments, lack of resources in war rooms such as furniture and computers, lack of participation by community structures, rising social ills such as drug abuse and teenage pregnancy in schools, provision of water and housing.
KZN LEGISLATURE TO HOLD ITS TAKING LEGISLATURE TO PEOPLE PROGRAMME IN ETHEKWINI METRO AMIDST LOCKDOWN LEVEL-1
Media Statement
For Immediate Release
Date: 29 October 2020
Attention: Political Reporters, News Editors, Assignment Editors
KZN LEGISLATURE TO HOLD ITS TAKING LEGISLATURE TO PEOPLE PROGRAMME IN ETHEKWINI METRO AMIDST LOCKDOWN LEVEL-1
Itâs all systems go for the KZN Legislature to hold its first Taking Legislature to People sitting in the Durban City Hall on the 3rd and 4th November 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown level-1.
Necessitated by level-1 lockdown regulations, the sitting will be held under strict COVID-19 health protocols including social distancing, wearing of masks and regular sanitization inside the venue. The venue will also accommodate not more than 250 people including MPLs, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), Councilors, government officials, media and other invited stakeholders.
The two- day sitting follows the visits to various wards in Ethekwini Metro by multiparty delegations of the Legislature, which met with communities to listen to their concerns regarding service delivery. A report on the multiparty visits will be presented and debated during the Taking Legislature to People sitting.
This is in line with the Legislatureâs commitment to give communities an opportunity to interact with their public representatives and raise issues which affect them and need government intervention.
Due to the limited number of people who will be allowed inside City Hall, the media is requested to confirm attendance by sending RSVP by 02 November to the communication team on the contact details provided hereunder.
Ends
Issued by
Communications Unit
KZN Legislature
For more information and RSVP, please contact
Sina Nxumalo
Cell: 0829060449
Email: nxumalow@kznleg.gov.za
Or
Wonder Hlongwa
Cell: 0829083532
Or
Wesley Canham
Cell: 0833767299
Email: canhamw@kznleg.gov.za
WAR-ROOMS FUNCTIONALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME
25 October 2020
Embargo: For Immediate Release
Attention: News/Assignment Editors, Political Reporters, Reporters
From: KZN Legislature Communications Unit
WAR-ROOMS FUNCTIONALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME
Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature will be deployed throughout the province this week to assess the state of War-Rooms.
The concept of War-Rooms refers to the space where the coordinating task team at ward level provides a direct link to the community, coordinates profiling and integrates service delivery.
The legislature adopted the War Rooms Functionality Programme in 2018 as part of its constitutional mandate to exercise oversight over the executive arm of government and this yearâs visit would be a follow-up to check if issues raised in 2018 have been resolved.
During the 2018 visits the Legislature acknowledged that some good work had been done to launch the war-rooms programme.
The report from the Office of the Premier indicated that many wards in all districts and the Metro had war-rooms. This was a clear indication that the province was moving in the right direction.
All the teams acknowledged in their reports that the war-rooms are a good vehicle for service delivery, but which are not optimally functional, as required.
Eleven war-room oversight teams have been established, one team per district and the Metro. Each team will visit six war-rooms that were visited in 2018 per district and three new war-rooms that were not visited in 2018. The total number of war-rooms to be visited by each team will be nine.
The War-Rooms Functionality programme co-incides with the visit to three districts (Umgungundlovu, Umzinyathi and Uthukela) by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Teams deployed in these districts will only visit one War-Room because they will also be seized with the work of the NCOP.
Visits to all districts begin on Tuesday 27th ending on Thursday the 29th of October.
Ends
Issued by KZN Legislature Communications Unit
For more information please contact Wonder Hlongwa at 0829083532
LEGISLATURE HOSTS A SUCCESSFUL SENIOR CITIZENSâ PARLIAMENT AMID LEVEL 1 LOCKDOWN
Legislature Hosts A Successful Senior Citizensâ Parliament Amid Level 1 Lockdown
The 2020 Senior Citizens Parliament had a resounding success despite the country still under Level 1 Lockdown due to the COVID-19 epidemic. On the 2nd October, the Legislature gathered delegates of senior citizens from all districts of KwaZulu-Natal, in their annual parliament that provides the elders with a platform to debate issues affecting them.
Amongst the important issues that were discussed included the issue of long queues at pension pay-points, the killing of elderly women by young boys for their pension monies, provision of housing for elders and those with physical challenges also top the agenda. Members of the Executive Council (MECs) from various departments also took to the podium to address the elders on the programs of their respective departments that seek to better the lives of the elders in this province.
The day ended with an address by the Speaker of the Legislature Hon. Nontembeko Boyce who promised that all resolutions that were adopted by the Senior Citizens will be followed upon by relevant portfolio committees of the Legislature to ensure swift implementation of those resolutions by provincial departments. She also appealed to the MEC for Community Safety to ensure maximum availability and visibility of SAPS at pension pay-points to guarantee the safety of the elders and that the crimes pertaining to elderly abuse, GBV be given a priority and should be dealt with as a matter of national crisis.