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The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs today called on the Kannaland Local Municipality to prioritise the delivery of basic services to the communities under its jurisdiction.  
 
Today, the committee held a stakeholder engagement with representatives of organisations that included businesses, ratepayers and traditional leaders. The committee also allowed some residents of Kannaland who were present in the meeting to raise only service delivery related issues. Almost all of the residents and stakeholders raised the challenge of the shortage and unavailability of water, deteriorating road infrastructure, high rate of unemployment and the sale of drugs to minors.
 
The committee was also informed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) that the municipality does not have municipal law enforcement officers to also ensure traffic policing and enforcement of municipal by-laws. Participants in the meeting highlighted the importance of the existence of law enforcement officers in the municipality to work with SAPS to curb criminal activity.  
 
The committee will ensure that all the submissions on the lack of basic services such as water and on the support needed by the municipality will be directed to the relevant national and provincial departments. In the meantime, the committee told the municipality to continue with its constitutional responsibility of the provision of services while awaiting intervention and support from national and provincial government.
 
Tomorrow, the committee will continue with its oversight programme by visiting various sites in Calitzdorp and Van Wyksdorp. 

Issued by The Chairperson of The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Fikile Xasa