The Tshwane metro is working on an electronic petition system that could allow residents to engage with the municipality digitally, in a move aimed at improving transparency and public participation.

According to Vanessa de Sousa, consultant for information and content management, the Office of the Speaker is currently engaging with the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) department on the development of an e-petitions system.

Her comments come after concerns were raised by residents about the lack of a public-facing platform that allows communities to track the progress and outcomes of petitions submitted to the metro.

De Sousa explained that petitions currently follow a structured process once they are submitted to the Office of the Speaker.

“Petitioners submit the petition to the Office of the Speaker. The petition is registered and petitioners receive acknowledgement letters with a registration number,” she said.

She said petitions are then referred to the relevant municipal department for investigation and comment.

“The departments conduct inspections in loco together with petitioners. The comments are forwarded back to the Office of the Speaker and a report is prepared to serve before the Petitions Committee meeting as scheduled per the council calendar on a monthly basis.”

According to De Sousa, petitioners and the relevant departments are invited to attend committee meetings where matters are discussed and resolutions are taken.

“The resolution of the petition is then handed over to the petitioners. Furthermore, the resolutions of the Petitions Committee are registered in the petition tracker for monitoring.

“The community consults directly with the office as and when to check on progress regarding implementation,” she said.

The update follows concerns previously raised by residents who questioned whether petitions submitted to the metro were receiving adequate attention.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo previously said petitions are formally recorded and referred to the relevant departments for assessment and investigation.

“Once a petition is received, it is formally recorded and referred to the relevant department for assessment and investigation. Recommendations are then submitted to the appropriate decision-making structures for consideration and further action,” Mashigo said.

He added that petitions are tracked through internal reporting and management processes and that implementation plans are monitored by responsible departments where action is required.

Despite these assurances, some residents maintain they have seen little evidence of progress.

Elardus Park resident Shawn Fouché previously told Rekord that a petition submitted last year regarding concerns linked to the Garstkloof landfill site had not resulted in any meaningful response.

“It was submitted last year, but we never got any response from the metro and the matter has not been addressed. It is getting worse,” Fouché said at the time.

Residents have also raised concerns about petitions relating to the Menlo Park garden refuse site and traffic calming measures in Lynnwood Ridge, saying they continue to wait for updates on whether those matters have been approved, rejected or remain under review.

Ward councillor Lida Erasmus previously said petitions are investigated, but implementation is often delayed by budget constraints.

“The petitions are indeed investigated. The problem is with the budget and that is why past issues raised in petitions have not been fixed or attended to,” Erasmus said.

While the metro maintains that petitions remain an important mechanism for public participation, the proposed e-petitions system could provide residents with greater visibility into the status of submissions and the progress of municipal responses.

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