Taking Parliament to the People - Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Free State Province
Venue:
Kaiser Sebothelo Sports Arena, Botshabelo
Dates and Times:
21 - 24 August 2017: 08:30 – 17:00
25 August 2017: 08:30 – 13:00
Address by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa
Theme:
Celebrating 20 Years of the Constitution and 20 Years since the Establishment of the NCOP -
Deepening Parliamentary Oversight for Quality Services to Our People
What is Parliament?
Parliament consists of two Houses, the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Parliament exists to make laws, to facilitate public involvement in the law-making and other processes, and to conduct oversight over the Executive, i.e. to oversee and monitor government.
The NA is elected to represent the people and to ensure government by the people under the Constitution. It has a constitutional mandate to elect the President of South Africa from among its 400 Members. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker preside over the meetings of the NA. The NCOP represents the provinces to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere. It was established to provide a national forum for public consideration of issues affecting provinces and local government. This House consists of nine provincial delegations. Each province is represented by 6 permanent and 4 special delegates. Local government is represented by a delegation of the South African Local
Government Association (SALGA), but SALGA does not have voting rights in the House. The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson preside over the meetings of the NCOP.
What is Taking Parliament to the People?
In 2002, the NCOP initiated the Taking Parliament to the People (TPTTP) programme to give South Africans the opportunity to see how Parliament works and participate in its processes.
This year’s programme takes place in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State, with a specific focus on health services and related matters. During the programme, public meetings will be held to give members of the public and other relevant stakeholders the opportunity to draw Parliament’s attention to challenges they experience in this regard. Members of Parliament will also conduct oversight visits to relevant sites to evaluate health services first hand and identify areas for improvement. During 2018 there will be a report-back session to ensure that progress has been made in addressing the challenges identified during the programme.
Why is TPTTP important?
The TPTTP programme gives opportunity to people to engage face to face with elected representatives. It enables the public to be involved in ensuring service-delivery by government. Members of the public can make a contribution during the TPTTP programme to ensure that the government is answerable to the needs of the people by asking questions and raising concerns related to the theme or focus of the programme. This is called an oral submission. Relevant government departments will be present to respond to issues raised by the public during the programme. In addition, written submissions may be made on any issue that requires the attention of the NCOP.