design – Page 38 – KZN Legislature

Taking the Legislature to the People provides communities with direct access to their public representatives

Public interaction session at Durnacol Sport Complex

Section 118 of the Constitution of the Republic places an obligation on all Provincial Legislatures to facilitate public involvement in their law making and oversight functions. The aim is to enable the citizens of this country to participate meaningfully in the governance of their lives. This also provides the citizens an opportunity to engage directly with their public representatives in order to raise their concerns and challenges which require government’s intervention.

In keeping with this constitutional obligation, the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, led by Speaker Johnson, held a two day sitting away from its chambers in Pietermaritzburg and took the Legislature to Amajuba District where ordinary citizens were afforded an opportunity to interact with their public representatives.

The sitting was held at Dunarcol Sport Complex in Dannhauser Municipality on 27 and 28 October 2016, where people of Amajuba District were able to raise issues that affect them directly in the presence of Members including the Provincial Cabinet. People were able to raise their concerns about service delivery ranging from water shortages, housing, agriculture (access to farming), poverty, unemployment, health facilities, social development programmes.
MECs responded to the issues raised by the community and provided plans to address them. On the last day of the sitting, Premier Willies Mchunu presented a detailed report which included the provincial government’s programme of addressing the challenges facing the community of Amajuba District.

The two day sitting was a follow up to the visits by the multiparty committee which conducted oversight on the level of service delivery in all municipalities under Amajuba. The multiparty committee, led by the Chair of Chairs Hon. Sipho Gcabashe, inspected various service delivery projects to assess their successes and challenges. The multiparty delegation had compiled a comprehensive oversight report which was presented to the people of Amajuba on the first day of the sitting.

The multiparty delegation inspecting a housing project in Newcastle

The multiparty delegation inspecting a housing project in Newcastle
Since 2004, the Legislature has visited all districts of KwaZulu-Natal to give citizens an opportunity to engage directly with their elected representatives. The programme also assists Members to gain first-hand information on the level of service delivery in communities, in order to accelerate service delivery especially in rural areas. The Legislature will continue with this programme of taking the Legislature to the people to ensure that all citizens of KwaZulu-Natal benefit from the fruits of democracy.

Senior Citizen’s Parliament 2016 in Phongola

It is not all politics in the Senior Citizen’s Parliament, but the elderly have access to health services they need the most. At the Senior Citizen’s Parliament, held in Phongola, staff from Intshelejuba hospital are hard at work rendering the health services to the most vulnerable members of our society, the elderly. The exhibition marquee set up has been of great benefit to the elderly who hardly have taxi fares to go to clinics or hospitals for their health needs. The long distances people have to travel to access health service is a challenge to elders like gogo Simelane who had an amputated leg.

With these services the elders are assessed, others referred for specialised services if necessary, and these services include dentistry, dietetics, physiotherapy etc. Those with high blood pressure (and have their medical cards with them), are offered treatment on-site. Senior citizens of Zululand district have praised the Legislature for providing the opportunity for them to not only express their views on service delivery issues in general, but also their specific needs for health.

A considerable amount of work was done by Health Practitioners form Intshelejuba Hospital at the 
Senior Citizen’s Parliament 2016 in Phongola offering elders health services.

Amajuba Site Visits

Media Release – Amajuba Visits 2016 Download

2016 Women’s Parliament

2016 marks the 60^th Anniversary of the historic march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria by women of all races against discriminatory pass laws.

As we celebrate the Women’s Month, the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature will hold its annual Women’s Parliament on the 26^th – 27 ^th August 2016 in eNdumeni Municipality, Mpumelelo Sports field under uMzinyathi District Municipality.

Women from all six political parties that are represented in the Legislature will participate in this event. The theme of the 2016 Women’s Parliament is: “Women United in Moving South Africa Forward”.

The Women’s Parliament is part of the Legislature’s strategy to broaden public participation in the oversight and law-making processes of the Legislature and to enhance participatory democracy in KwaZulu-Natal.

People with Disabilities Parliament, which is an annual Sector Parliament, whose aim is to give disabled persons of KwaZulu-Natal a platform to raise issues which affect them daily, was held on the 4^th December 2015 at Ezakheni TVET College in Mnambithi Municipality under Uthukela District.

People with Disabilities Parliament was held under the theme “South Africa – a free and just society, inclusive of all people with disabilities as equal citizens”. Delegates who participated in discussions came from all districts of KwaZulu-Natal. The event followed the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, which was celebrated on 03 December at the same venue.