Tshwane residents: Plea to them to petition and not to protest over service delivery issues
Tshwane residents must not resort to burning tyres and staging protests, often used as a means to express frustration over service delivery issues.
Instead, they should use the City of Tshwane’s problem-solving mechanisms such as the petitions process to ensure that the service delivery complaints are resolved speedily.
This was a plea by city’s Section 79 chairperson for the petitions committee, Ananias Mokgalotsi, who believes the petitions process, as well as a new draft by-law, offer residents a structured way to address their concerns and have them resolved in a timely manner.
He said the proposed draft by-law on petitions currently out for public participation aims to improve the mechanism put in place by which residents and stakeholders submit their petitions to the city.
“The revised draft by-law intends to promote participatory democracy and active citizenry in an open and transparent manner. Petitions are a vital tool for public involvement in the legislative process, and it grants citizens a constitutional right to express their views and seek a response from their elected representatives,” he said.
A functioning petitions system, he said, will encourage residents to submit petitions on issues affecting them and their communities, rather than resorting to service delivery protests.
“I strongly condemn the burning of tyres and protests for matters relating to service delivery because the city has mechanisms and the petitions process to ensure that the service delivery complaints are resolved speedily through the new or draft by-law,” Mokgalotsi said.
He stressed that the public participation process for the petition’s bylaw is an opportunity for the public to participate and make inputs in drafting the petition’s by-law.
“I call on stakeholders to work together with the city, through the Section 79 committee, to resolve service delivery issues in their communities,” he said.
He said submitting petitions directly to the municipality can significantly benefit communities by influencing the city’s budget and integrated development plan processes, ultimately ensuring that service delivery issues are addressed.
“During the process of a petition, it allows for a sound relationship between the municipality and Tshwane residents and stakeholders to be formed through open and frank deliberations on ways to address the challenges of the petitioners,” he said.
In terms of the draft petitions by-law, the turnaround time for the petitions committee to resolve petitions has been amended to 30 working days from 90.
Mokgalotsi said: “To ensure that the departments are held accountable, the petitions committee will be allowed to summon both the relevant group heads and members of the mayoral committee to account for the petition. The petitions committee may rotate the venue for its meetings within the seven regions of the City of Tshwane, ataking the committee closer to the petitioners.”
Residents and stakeholders can participate in the public participation process for the draft petitions by-law by submitting their inputs and comments by November 4, 2025, to publicparticipation@tshwane.gov.za.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za