KAROO NEWS - The Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature's portfolio committees are in full swing in Graaff-Reinet this week as they unveil their reports and findings on the state of service delivery and access to services for citizens in the Sarah Baartman District.
This event will be held at the Botanics Sport Ground and is part of the ongoing "Taking Legislature to the People Programme," taking place in the district from 23 to 27 October.
Preparations for the event started over the past weekend and Monday 23 October with formalities starting on 24 October.
The portfolio committees have been actively conducting pre-oversight visits to assess the current status of service delivery and the measures taken to address the challenges faced by communities throughout the Sarah Baartman District.
Comprehensive reports were compiled and are being presented in the presence of the public for discussion throughout the week.
The open forum allows members to deliberate and thoroughly scrutinise the findings. The portfolio committees responsible for human settlements, health, social development, education, community safety, agriculture, economic development, and cooperative government and traditional affairs are now in the spotlight, presenting their reports on the state of service delivery in the district.
The "Taking Legislature to the People Programme" offers citizens a direct channel to engage with their public representatives, and raise concerns and challenges that demand immediate government intervention.
This encourages service delivery accountability and enhances access to government services and improve the overall quality of life.
In the heart of the district, over 1 000 citizens are actively participating in the programme, with hundreds more joining through public viewing areas in Makana and Sunday's River Local Municipality.
The initiative aligns with Section 114 of the Constitution, which mandates provincial legislatures to create mechanisms to ensure that all provincial executive organs of the state are accountable to them.
It also helps ensure that provincial legislatures maintains oversight of the provincial executive authority.
Members of the parliament in the house while a report on the findings on the state of service delivery is being presented.
This is a glimpse of what the house looks like inside.
Members of the public listening to a report. Photos: Sonia Wahl
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