The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in the Free State has announced plans to conduct an investigation into the province’s service delivery system. This comes in response to reports from various communities across the province of poor delivery of basic services.
The SAHRC’s Provincial Manager, Thabo Kheswa says the hearings are scheduled for June or July.
Kheswa says, “Basic services like water, sanitation and sewage spillages in many municipalities are still a problem. And for that reason, we want to hold an inquiry where all municipalities will give an account of the state of services in their jurisdiction and what are their plans to improve the services. Government Departments like CoGTA and Water and Sanitation will be partaking.”
Poor quality of roads
The Public Protector’s office stated in February that poor road quality, substandard infrastructure, and non-responsive police are among the key service delivery issues in the Free State.
Public Protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane and her Deputy Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka spent two days in the province speaking with various mayors, speakers, and the Traditional Authority to get to the bottom of service delivery issues.
VIDEO: Public Protector’s roadshow in the Free State:
