Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, tasked with the Section 100 intervention in the North West, will today kick-off its oversight visits to the province.
“The purpose of the oversight visit is to assess the state of service delivery following the intervention by national government in terms of section 100 (1) (b) of the Constitution,” said chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee Charel de Beer.
Committee members, which will be split into two groups, are set to visit areas such as Mahikeng, Lichtenberg, Klerksdorp, Orkney and Potchefstroom among others.
“The committee will also assess the facts brought before it by the Inter-Ministerial Task Team, the North West provincial government, National Treasury and the Auditor-General on issues of governance, accountability, compliance with legislative prescripts, supply-chain management, infrastructure, accruals, specific contracts, corrective measures, and monitoring and evaluation,” De Beer said.
The intervention came after violent protests swept the province over service delivery earlier this year, with residents calling for the resignation of former Premier Supra Mahumapelo.
Cabinet invoked section 100 (1) (B) – first with the North West Department of Health in April – before national government invoked the same section to take over the administration of a further 10 departments in the province on 23 May.
These events were preceded by protracted violent protests in the province calling for Mahumapelo’s resignation, who stepped down the same day that the departments were placed under administration.
This morning, the committee will visit the Lichtenberg Sewage Treatment Works and the provincial Department of Social Development (DSD) in Mahikeng, where non-compliance with Occupational Health and Safety requirements resulted in the shutdown of DSD services by trade unions.
Meanwhile, Group 1 of the committee is set to visit Vyfhoek Primary Farm School in Potchefstroom as part of its focus on issues of governance, accountability, monitoring and evaluation, including compliance with legislative prescripts.
The committee will also hold a community engagement session at the Klerksdorp Community Hall on Thursday with the session due to get underway at 4:30pm.
A similar engagement will be held at the Mahikeng Community Hall and will kick-off at 4:30pm. – SAnews.gov.za
