๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ – ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐ก๐ข๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ
Today, I had the honor of addressing the Integrated Oversight Workshop convened by the Mpumalanga Provincial Speaker, Hon. N. Makhosazane Masilela and Deputy Speaker, Hon. Sam Masango from the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature.
Bringing together key stakeholders, the mission for the day was clear: to strengthen legislative oversight and ensure a #MpumalangaProvinceThatWorksForAll.
As the Commissioner for the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), I shared a firm message on behalf of the constitutional mandate we carry:
๐ Winning Back Public Trust: We must “declutter” our institutions. We cannot let the “bad bunch” overshadow the good. Service delivery is the only way to restore the people’s faith in governance.
๐ The Human Cost of Delayed Policy: The Local Government White Paper has been under review since 1998. That is 28 years. Imagine the life of a 28-year-old today in Mpumalanga. Are they employed? Are they empowered? Or have our slow systems set them up for failure? We must wake up to the fact that delayed policy is a stolen future. This white paper will address over 25 years of systemic failures, including poor service delivery, financial mismanagement, and crumbling infrastructure.
๐ Breaking the Silos: We are all guardians of the people. Whether it is the Legislature or Chapter 9 and 10 institutions, our oversight should not be seen as a hurdle, but as a collective shield for our citizens.
๐ Collective Accountability: As the current Chair of the FISD (Forum for Institutions Supporting Democracy), the CGE is advocating for deeper, collective work with the Legislature. We need meaningful accountability sessions that result in real-world impact.
๐ Gender is Everywhere: Every societal issueโfrom water to infrastructureโhas a gender element. The CGE can only be fully effective when our Municipalities stop failing the people. When service delivery fails, women and children bear the heaviest burden.
๐ A Balanced Society: We must continue to remind our communities: The Rise of Women does not mean the Fall of Men. True equality strengthens the entire fabric of our province.
Let us move from oversight as a “check-box” to oversight as a transformation tool.
#MpumalangaLegislature
#CGE
#GenderEquality
#ServiceDelivery
#Accountability
#FISD
#WomenInLeadership
