Pretoria - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi has appointed an inter-sphere task team to study the Public Protector's Balfour report.
The task team will compile a report of their findings which will be submitted to the minister by Wednesday.
The report, entitled "Glimmer of Hope", was handed over to the minister before it was released by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela at a media briefing at the Dipaleseng municipality last week.
The Dipaleseng Local Municipality was hit by service delivery protests in 2009 which prompted the Public Protector to launch an investigation. Angry residents burned down a local library and a municipal office and barricading access roads with burning tyres.
In a statement, the minister said: "In showing gratitude to the Public Protector for her insightful report, which was long awaited since 2009, we want to immediately commence with implementation in our drive to make local government work.
"We want to understand in full what the Public Protector is saying to us, and without much ado, hit the ground running in our strive to build efficient, effective and responsive local government in Dipaleseng and the rest of our country."
Baloyi has set the following Terms of Reference which will guide the work of the appointed task team to make the appropriate recommendation:
- Study the report thoroughly and reconcile interpretations on terminology used in the report;
- Provide clarity on concepts used in the report - legally, politically and otherwise;
- List activities that need attention on the report with time frames given and implementation plan;
- Reconcile the report with other initiatives taken by various stakeholders such as the Presidential visit, Task Team on service delivery, other sector departments and the private sector.
- Scrutinise and validate the information obtained during the investigation as highlighted in the report;
- Draw an agenda of general and specific matters to be discussed by the department family consisting of all the spheres of government.
The task team is comprised of chairperson Adv Tommy Ntsewa, Tozi Faba, Joshua Maseko, Vusi Ngcobo, Beverly Gungisa and Samu Ngubane.
