Gauteng’s poor lack access to human rights
“It accepts that because of inequality, some costs may be unavoidable. Although this approach is commendable, Seias by itself does not sufficiently address the cost of red tape. Assessing the impact of regulatory measures on the economy will improve the effectiveness, efficiency and the impact of government interventions,” he said.
“Specifically for developing countries, impact assessments have the potential to contribute to poverty alleviation by reducing business entry costs and creating a regulatory environment that is friendly to small businesses, thus driving economic growth.”
He said his draft private member’s bill sought to provide for the assessment of regulatory measures developed by the executive, members and committees of Parliament and self-regulatory bodies.
“This assessment will consider the socio-economic impact of regulatory measures, including the detection and reduction of red tape and the cost of red tape for businesses,” Kruger said.
He added the draft bill also provided for the establishment of a central administrative unit to manage the Regulatory Impact Assessments process.
“One of the functions of this unit will be to provide for assistance to businesses in overcoming red tape.”
Kruger said the bill provided for the evaluation of existing regulatory measures by ministers and self-regulatory bodies.
To comment on the draft bill, email speaker@parliament.gov.za and copy to lurwinj@da.org.za before April 11.
GAUTENG’S poorer communities continue to experience a lack of access to their basic human rights despite being in the most urbanised province in the country.
This is according to the recently released report by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), titled “State of Human Rights in Gauteng”.
The report also looks at the policy efforts by the province to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030) principle of leaving no one behind and National Development Plan 2030 (NDP 2030) objective by the government of building a capable state.
According to the report, which looked at state of access to health and standards of living, including housing, water and sanitation, the cost of living has continued to increase as incomes, social services and work opportunities
“It will provide assistance for firms to reduce red tape Henro Kruger DA MP
have stagnated and even declined.
The report said many of those who lived on the margins of the provincial economy had been left behind by the government in terms of access to their rights.
“The right to an adequate standard of living (health, housing, water and sanitation) in the province is relatively better than other rural provinces.
“However, there are systemic challenges that need a concerted effort from the national and provincial governments if the province is ready to tackle the structural inequalities, poverty and unemployment,” the report read.
It also examined investigations into the alleged violations of socio-economic rights of residents, including the Alexandra Renewal Project. It found that the state had in some instances been guilty of violating the rights of the poor, instead of advancing them.
“The human rights violations that were found by the commission demonstrate that the state is still falling far short of meeting its human rights obligations to protect, promote and fulfil the enjoyment of the right to healthcare for the majority of Gauteng citizens,” the report read.
It referred to “the backlog in lowcost housing provision, poor co-ordination between local, provincial and national governments and the rising tensions in communities that are left behind when projects of this magnitude are promised and not delivered. This further perpetuates a culture of violent service delivery protests as communities in the province feel neglected and their rights trampled upon by political office bearers”.
While most residents in the province depended on public healthcare, the report found an overwhelming number of the 54 public healthcare facilities inspected to be performing way below the 80% threshold and with only 12% of them performing at 50%. Only one clinic performed above the required standards to claim an acceptable level of care, the report revealed.