East London - Parliament and the different provincial legislatures need to become more involved in ensuring service delivery for people living in informal settlements.
Speaking at the Secretaries Association of South African Legislatures' (SALSA) fourth development seminar currently underway in East London, Economic Performance and Development (EPD) senior research manager Dr Jaya Josie said the South Africa
needs to do more to end poor service delivery.
"Parliament and legislature's intervention in the development of the country is very important in ensuring equal opportunities for disadvantaged communities. Members of Parliament need to go to these communities to develop a better understanding of their needs," said Josie.
He said if Parliament had a better appreciation of the poor state of service delivery in these communities, there would be less service delivery protests.
"Policy instruments must be implemented by MPs to make sure that problems facing many communities are identified and dealt with," added Josie.
He said government structures also need to encourage more investment, especially in areas with high unemployment.
"Investments are very important, especially for very poor communities that need job creation and the development of infrastructure," said Josie.
The seminar, which ends on Friday, is being attended by over 300 delegates representing South African legislatures, and officials from a number of African states and international Parliamentary bodies.
