NCOP to assess service delivery in provinces

By Ofentse Mokae
03 September 2009

Parliament’s National Council of Provinces will be visiting all nine provinces from September 7 to 11 to gather first-hand information about government’s service delivery.

NCOP’s 54 permanent members will embark on a week long programme with this year’s Provincial Week theme – “Working together to ensure the delivery of quality services to communities”.

Provincial Week will enable permanent NCOP delegates to interact with provinces, to report back to the NCOP on their experiences and to get new mandates about issues that should be on the national legislative agenda.

Sites to be visited have been chosen in consultation with provinces and particular attention will be paid to areas that experienced community protests over service delivery.

NCOP delegates will engage Provincial Legislatures, municipalities and strategic stakeholders such as the South African Local Government Association on how the three spheres of government can work together to deliver quality services to our people.

In recent months the country has been marred by violent service delivery protests, where communities cited amongst others, poor service delivery, lack of housing and high unemployment.