The North West department of local government and traditional affairs said it will see to it that the Ramotshere Moiloa local municipality and the Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality provide services to residents of Extension 5 of Palamakwa in Lehurutshe outside.
The assurance for service delivery comes after a ruling from the Human Rights Commission which had to intervene to force the two municipalities to provide the needed basic services to the communities.
The residents had gone to the SAHRC to complain about the violation of their human rights by the municipalities who were failing to provide electricity as well as water and sanitation, a claim validated by the commission’s findings.
North West local government spokesperson, Dineo Thapelo, said a task team has been formed to deal specifically with service delivery issues.
“The department will work with the two municipalities to ensure that there is service delivery in the area. But over and above that, there is a task team that was established by Premier, Bushy Maape, made up of several service delivery departments and the task team is hard at work to ensure that all issues related to service delivery are dealt with,” Thapelo said.
Last week the SAHRC’s Provincial Manager Shirley Mlombo, released the commission’s findings of an investigation brought by the communities in which the two municipalities were found to have indeed violated the rights of residents.
“The specific rights that were violated include the right of access to water, and sanitation as well as the right to dignity,” Mlombo said, adding that the two institutions had to make amends.
“Consequent to these findings, the commission made a number of directives, directed to the two municipalities. The directives of the Commission are legally binding, so the Commission does expect that the municipality will comply with these directives.
“These directives include the directive to both municipalities to provide the prescribed amount of water to the residents of the affected communities. The municipalities are also directed to provide the residents of the affected communities with toilets, which are safe and reliable, and environmentally sound.
“The local municipality is also required to report to the Commission on how it intends to give effect to these directives I’ve mentioned. And in the report there must be a clear time plan of the steps that will be taken to give effect to the report.
“The local municipality has also been directed to consider making an application to the relevant MEC for the area to be formally developed into a township. And this process must be done in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including the residents of the affected community. The municipality must then report to the Commission on its decision regarding the upgrade of the settlement,” she said.
