Regional Focus By Koketso Mamabolo
To the people of KZN President Ramaphosa takes parliament to the Ugu District Municipality
“h
onourable Chair, I stand here, not only as a leader of the district but as a product of the valleys and dusty villages of Izingolweni, who clearly understands the plight of an African child, having risen from an impoverished background myself,” said , speaking at the latest Taking Parliament to the People event, which was held in the Ugu District Municipality in late November. The event was attended by officials from all three levels of gov-ernment, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, who addressed the community as part of the Taking Parliament to the People Programme.
Taking it to the people
The programme was established by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in 2002 as a way to bring parliament closer to the people, in order to increase and enrich public participation in the legislative process. Community members are afforded the opportunity to see how parliament works, to give them a better understanding of how they can contribute to the law-making pro-cess. They’re brought face-to-face with legislators and the executive through public hearings and site visits where they can share
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their experiences, suggestions and take leaders through the challenges they are facing. Members of the Provincial Legislature, local government officials and representatives from other spheres of government engage with the public on issues before the sitting takes place, where they are addressed by either the President or Deputy President of the country. After the event, the leaders are briefed andthen follow-up through site visits to see if the concerns of residents have been addressed.