The North West Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) is urging communities across the province to make use of its Rapid Response Team (RRT) to raise service delivery concerns and seek government intervention.
The four-member team is mandated to engage directly with communities experiencing dissatisfaction with government services, document their grievances and facilitate engagements with relevant municipalities, government departments and other institutions.
North West COGHSTA MEC Gaoage Oageng Molapisi highlighted the importance of the initiative, describing it as part of the government’s efforts to improve responsiveness, strengthen municipal governance and rebuild public confidence.
Molapisi emphasised that government should not wait for communities to resort to protests before addressing their concerns.
He said proactive engagement with residents was necessary to understand their frustrations, identify unresolved service delivery challenges and ensure that grievances reach the relevant institutions for intervention.
The team will also facilitate urgent interventions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, with the aim of preventing community dissatisfaction from escalating into disruptive protests, violence and the destruction of public infrastructure.
The MEC further highlighted the importance of strengthening relations between government and communities as municipalities prepare for a new term of local government.
He emphasised that effective communication, meaningful public participation and timely responses to community grievances are essential to addressing service delivery bottlenecks and maintaining stability.
The Department has also confirmed that the current contractual period of the four Rapid Response Team members is scheduled to end on 31 March 2027.
