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Chapter 3 - DEMOCRACY, GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

PROBLEMS

Lobbying local government

The Municipal Council of Maluti promised that it would provide running water to the whole town before the end of the year. It is now a year later and there is still no running water in some parts of the town. In addition, the rubbish removal service only works sometimes and the rubbish is piling up and causing a health hazard. The residents of the town have been to see the Council but nothing seems to help. They say it is their right in terms of the Constitution to have running water and a proper rubbish removal service.

What is the law?

The Constitution says people have the right to a clean and healthy environment.

It is the job of the Municipal Council to provide facilities and services equally to the whole community. The Integrated Development Plan should include a specific plan for implementation of services and communities have a right to know why the Council is not implementing its plan.

It is government policy to provide a basic amount of free water (6 000l to each poor household, wherever possible.

What can you do?

People can lobby local government and put pressure on them to force them to provide the facilities and services. It is important to check what the municipal council has committed itself to in the IDP and lobby it to implement the plan. There are different ways of doing this and you can help people plan a campaign around implementation of services. These are some of the ways to lobby for better services:

• Write to newspapers and build up a support base.
• Build community support through speaking to people for example, in their homes, at schools and at religious gatherings.
• Attend municipal council meetings that are open to the public and make your demands known.
• Organise a peaceful demonstration through the town to tell people what the council needs to do.
• Send around a petition for people to sign and take this to the council.
• Organise public meetings and ask local councillors to attend.
• Arrange for a delegation that is representative of the community to meet with councillors.

Make a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission based on the discrimination against your community, and your right to have access to a healthy and safe environment.

See Making a complaint to the SAHRC.