Telephone:   011 498 5952
Fax:               011 498 5727

E-Mail:         PPP@Gautengleg.gov.za

In a democratic country it is very important that the citizens of the country contribute to decisions about how the country is governed. The Public Participation and Petitions Unit is an office that has been set up at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to help you to have a say in the way that the Gauteng Province is governed.

The Public Participation and Petitions Unit has been established by the Gauteng Legislature because MPLs want to hear what you have to say. The Office is here to help you present your suggestions, requests, or complaints to the MPLs. If necessary the MPLs can then contact the right members of government to deal with your request or complaint.

If you send in a request or complaint to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature it is called a petition . When it has received a petition, the Public Participation and Petitions Unit, forwards it to the Public Participation and Petitions Standing Committee (PPPSC) who decide how it should be dealt with. People at the Public Participation and Petitions Unit then make sure that your petition is dealt with, and they let you know what the result of your petition has been. The Public Participation and Petitions Unit keeps a record of all petitions it receives.

If you send in a suggestion regarding a particular law or decision you think the government needs to make, it is called a submission . The Public Participation and Petitions Unit forwards any submissions that it receives to the Standing Committee dealing with that issue. It acknowledges all submissions it receives, and keeps a record of them.

If you are not sure about how to send in a petition or make a submission, the Public Participation and Petitions Unit can give you help and advice.

The Public Participation and Petitions Unit helps to develop educational materials and to organise educational campaigns and workshops to help members of the public to participate in the legislative process. The Public Participation and Petitions Unit is also working together with the Gauteng Education Department to develop lessons and materials for the schools in Gauteng. This is so that the voters of tomorrow know how to participate in making the Gauteng Government work for the people.

Members of the public can watch the Gauteng Legislature in action by attending Public Hearings, Sittings of the House, or Standing Committee Meetings. If you would like to attend any of these, the Public Participation and Petitions Unit can give you information about times, venues and procedures.