Deputy Speaker, hon members, I take this opportunity to share with the House the report of the oversight visit conducted from 23 to 26 July 2013 in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces, respectively.
The main purpose of the oversight visit related to the rural Thusong centres as the solution for government in ensuring integrated service delivery to the remote rural areas. The committee also visited a hospital and a police station to assess complaints with regard to section 195 of the Constitution, which provides for overarching oversight and the Batho Pele principles in the quality of services.
Thusong is a Sesotho word, meaning a place to get help or assistance. The slogan, in fact, reads, One-stop Centre for Service and Information. Thusong centres are largely needed in the rural areas for access to services for our people. Government has set as its target to establish one Thusong centre in each of the 283 municipalities in South Africa, by 2014. That is the target that the government has actually set for itself. This initiative will benefit more disadvantaged people in the rural and urban areas. In addition, our government committed itself to provide infrastructure to the centres with the aim of improving efficient and effective service delivery.
Parliament, through its Portfolio Committee on the Public Service and Administration, has exercised oversight to assess the state and readiness of the Thusong centres, particularly in the rural areas because that is where they are needed most. Through building more Thusong centres at the municipalities, access and information in the underserviced areas have improved the lives of many South Africans significantly under this current government. Thusong service centres provide people with the opportunity to experience a better life for all, as promised by the ruling party. In addition, the party they believe in should actually deliver such.
The portfolio committee visited Maruleng Thusong Centre situated in Mpumalanga province under the Thaba Nchu Local Municipality. The centre is 124 km away from Nelspruit, just adjacent to the town of Graskop. The centre renders a number of integrated services. All these integrated government services have the potential to impact positively in changing the lives of the people in that area.
However, there are logistical challenges observed with regard to the status of the building. The Department of the Public Service and Administration is currently conducting an assessment of or audit on the status of Thusong centres with the aim of improving most of the conditions and developing uniform norms and standards. It is quite important that the department should address the challenges facing these centres in the country. It was said, though, that it must be realised that most of the rural people in the 13 villages that we visited had to use a taxi to travel to Graskop in order to use the post office, because the ones at the Thusong centres did not function.
The committee also conducted an oversight visit to the Maruleng Thusong Service Centre situated in the Maruleng Local Municipality. The centre provides an integrated service to 33 villages that are situated far away from one another. Provision of the integrated services to these villages clearly demonstrates the importance of the centres. There was also a visit to the police station and also to the hospital.
The Department of the Public Service and Administration should develop clear guidelines on the location of the centres as to whether they reside in the municipalities or in the office of the premier. There have been problems in terms of who pays the rent and who manages the centre. We have realised the need and requirements because people do want this.
We appreciate the fact that the department recently indicated that a memorandum would be put before Cabinet. That will make sure that the administration of those centres functions better. Thank you, Deputy Speaker.
There was no debate.
Hon Deputy Speaker, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.