Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Matlosana Municipality yields to AfriForum’s objection over WhatsApp notice, agrees to hold additional public meeting

The Matlosana Local Municipality in the Northwest this week yielded to AfriForum’s objection that WhatsApp notifications cannot replace official communication channels for the notification of municipal matters. This follows an uproar last week over the municipality’s use of a WhatsApp message as a notice of an official meeting held as part of a public participation process. AfriForum’s Klerksdorp branch objected to this in a letter to the Municipal Manager, emphasising that the communication does not comply with the requirements of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000.

The act requires that notices of this nature be published in a local newspaper of record, displayed at municipal offices and, where applicable, placed in the Provincial Gazette.

A notice of the meeting on the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) was originally published in the Klerksdorp Record on 11 April. However, on the day of the planned meeting (14 April), the notice was suddenly marked as “postponed” without any official follow-up communication to the public, as required by law. Just days before the amended meeting date of 7 May, the municipality circulated an alternative notice via WhatsApp. Despite the poor communication, the meeting went ahead.

In its response this week, the municipality acknowledged the importance of complying with the relevant legislation and argued that since the original notice was published in the local media as prescribed, the subsequent communication via WhatsApp and Facebook was used as supplementary communication channels to reach a wider audience. However, the municipality acknowledged that these channels cannot replace the official publication channels.

To resolve the dispute, the municipality promised to hold another public meeting on the MTREF and that the full details thereof would be published in a local newspaper and on the necessary official platforms to ensure thorough stakeholder engagement.

According to Alta Pretorius, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Mooi River, the municipality and AfriForum have now reaffirmed their commitment to transparency, inclusive governance, and upholding democratic principles. The municipality has assured the public that future notices will be handled strictly in accordance with legal requirements to ensure meaningful community participation.

“Effective public participation is essential for democratic governance, the promotion of trust between municipalities and their communities, and ensuring that decisions reflect the needs and views of the people,” emphasises Frans Roos, Local Government Officer at AfriForum’s Klerksdorp branch.

“The fact that the municipality has sided with AfriForum on this issue is a victory in the interest of the community. We are grateful that they have realised that their actions were erroneous, and we, as a civil rights watchdog, will ensure that they fulfil their promises regarding the process. The community of Klerksdorp and the rest of the municipality now have the opportunity to participate in this process. They must seize this opportunity and make their voice heard at the next meeting,” concludes Pretorius.