Rustenburg: Municipalities in the Bojanala District have vowed to work closely with the department of Human Settlements and implementing its policies governing the sector. The commitment was made during a workshop conducted by the Department of Human Settlements to induct municipal officials in the Bojanala District about departmental policies in Rustenburg recently.

Municipal officials raised serious concerns, about human settlements programmes that continue to be a challenge in their respective municipalities to access. However they said that through the gesture by the department to impart policy information to them, they emerged empowered and are ready to implement the said policies to ensure service delivery. Officials informed the department that most beneficiaries were returned due to lack of information and that posed a great challenge to them.

They said that such policies allows them to work closely with the department and they hope that there will be much improvement in implementing them at municipal level. According to the Human Settlements, director of Research and Policy Development,” said Du Plesis.

Hildegarde du Plessis, the workshops will ensure that both the department and municipalities work towards one goal and have common understanding of human settlement programmes.

“It is against this background that we introduce municipal officials to our policies. The gesture will ensure integrated service delivery and to further ensure that information is properly disseminated to communities. We believe that such programmes are very vital to municipalities as they are at a services delivery level. The process is more empowering and is more pivotal to communities, as it entails their right,” said Du Plesis.

Municipalities among others render Human Settlements services such as, application for low cost houses, Rental housing tribunal services, Identification of informal settlements, identification of disaster services and referral to different government departments, provision of services like water and electricity to the newly established settlements and many others.

Source: Government of South Africa