The Democratic Alliance in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality will ensure that petitions submitted by the public to the municipality receive the necessary respect, attention, consideration, and resolution they deserve.
A refusal to accept or consider a petition may amount to a violation of this Constitutional right. The Promotion of Administrative Justice Act further provides that public bodies (such as municipalities) have a duty to consider petitions and to respond timeously .
Earlier this month, as the DA in Tzaneen, we submitted a petition—supported by the public—to the offices of the Speaker, Mayor, and Municipal Manager, calling for the urgent rehabilitation and maintenance of road infrastructure in Ward 15.
However, while the current Standing Rules and Orders of Council provide that petitions must be presented to the Speaker—who shall, if he or she deems it necessary, refer the matter to the Petitions Committee—the Council has failed to appoint such a committee.
The municipality claims that no Petitions Committee was constituted because no petitions were received during the previous term.
Regardless, this situation must be resolved. The Council must either establish the requisite Petitions Committee or urgently amend its Standing Rules and Orders to clarify how petitions will be processed and respected. In the interim, the lacuna can be addressed by allowing the petition to be considered and resolved directly by the municipal Council itself.