The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) delegation in KwaZulu-Natal has encouraged provincial and local spheres of government in the province to view the Provincial Week programme as a resource they can use to achieve quality service delivery.
Speaking in a meeting attended by the KZN Premier, MECs and mayors at the KZN Provincial Legislature yesterday, the leader of the NCOP delegation in KZN Mr Mzamo Billy said that role players tasked with rendering services to the people of South Africa should embrace the NCOP visit because of the positive spin-offs the programme has had in the province.
Mr Billy was responding to remarks made by the MEC for Public Works, Mr Lucas Marthinus Meyer, who said his office has had several meetings with construction companies in the province to address the problems caused by construction mafias, which the NCOP had raised during its last visit to the province.
Mr Billy was also pleased to learn of talks between the departments of Basic Education and Public Works to fast-track the completion of the overdue project to rebuild the Woodlands Primary School. This school project commenced in 2019 but has been delayed by a combination of poor contract management and the effects of the national lockdown arising from the Covid-19 outbreak.
Although there is no signed agreement between the two departments, according to the MEC, there have been meetings where both MECs committed to do their part to ensure that the project is complete by February 2028. The two departments are due to meet before the end of the fourth quarter to finalise the agreement.
The Public Works MEC also reported that it has managed to reduce its debt from R900 to 200 million – an achievement the NCOP delegation commended as a step in the right direction.
The Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Les Govender, also reminded the meeting that the NCOP is not a punitive structure but rather a partner and ally for municipalities and communities. “When we inform stakeholders that we are coming, it must not be interpreted as a reprimand. We are not here to embarrass anyone. We are here to strengthen governance, accelerate service delivery and ensure that government is felt equally in villages, towns, suburbs and remote rural communities,” said Mr Govender.
The Premier of the province, Mr Thamsanqa Ntuli, also reaffirmed the province’s commitment to building a responsive, accountable and people-centred public institution that can deliver quality services efficiently and consistently.
MECs for COGTA and Basic Education, the provincial Treasury and the Office of the Auditor General also tabled their presentations but had to rush to attend a joint infrastructure development meeting between the KZN and Eastern Cape provincial government taking place in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The NCOP delegation leader Mr Billy noted his displeasure, saying the MECs should not organise clashing programmes when the NCOP Provincial Week is scheduled as they are required to provide answers during the site visits throughout the week.
The delegation continues its work by visiting service delivery and infrastructure development sites on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning and these will culminate in a community meeting to be held on Thursday evening. The programme will then conclude on Friday, where the NCOP delegates and role players will return to the provincial legislature for a report-back session.
Temba Gubula
19 November 2025
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