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Policy Engagement Workshop - Kroonstad |
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 Policy Engagement Workshop, Moqhaka Section, Kroonstad, Free State Province
The first workshop in the national rollout of the Policy Engagement Programme was held in Moqhaka Section, Kroonstad, at the Twesopele Library, with forty-eight participants representing various local organisations in the area. The workshop followed the initial meeting held with members in the area in January this year and bodes well for the re-establishment of the Free State Welfare Forum. The workshop was facilitated by Benny Shapho in English and seSotho, with support from Rajesh Latchman and Quiniso Dube, the newly appointed Mpumalanga Coordinator, who was present as part of his induction programme.
Most of the participants had a basic idea of what a policy was all about but knew little about how to draft a policy or the step-by-step process of policy development. The most interesting aspect of the workshop was the realisation that none of the participants had any knowledge of the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) process, nor had nay of them been consulted about the IDPs for their districts. The workshop then had to be adapted to involve discussions on how IDPs acted as a vital tool for local government functioning and the opportunities this presented for people to participate in local government.
The workshop then focussed on the process of policy development, including the meanings of the various paper stages, the process of developing a policy brief and options for advocacy and lobbying. Participants were excited to learn that it was possible to hold their local municipalities accountable for service delivery through participation in the IDP process. Participants requested that the National Welfare Forum provide them with a guide to local government and especially the IDP process, so that they could work to address service delivery issues such as, burst water mains and lack of refuse collection in their communities.
At the end of the workshop, participants expressed their thanks and enquired if they could help organise further workshops throughout other areas of the province. The NWF committed to work with participants and other organisations and individuals in the province to make that a reality. The NWF also undertook to supply participants with a handbook on the IDP process.
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