The Free State Legislature has a Petitions Act (Act no. 6 of 2000) and Regulations that are put in place to regulate the procedure to be followed in dealing with petitions. The Free State Legislatur’s Select Committee on Public Participation and Petitions and Members; Legislature Proposals is responsive for handling petitions.

What is Petition?
A petition is a written:

• Complaint
• Request
• Representation, or
• Submission addressed to the committee by a petitioner

A petition must:

• Be readable
• Have the name and contact address of the petitioner
• Be signed by the petitioner or if in a case where the petitioner is unable to read or write, he/ she must make their mark on the petition in the presence of two (2) witnesses who must sign the petition in that capacity.

Who may petition?
A person who addresses a petition to the committee is called a petitioner. A petition may be addressed to the committee in the following manner;

1. By an individual person
2. By a group or people
3. By an association

With regard to (b) and (c) above, all affected individuals must sign the petition.

What are the rights of a petitioner?
A petitioner has the right to-

• Submit a petition to the committee in any of the official languages of the province.
• Withdraw a petition
• Be assisted by the administrative employee of the Legislature in submitting a petition.
• Attend the meeting of the committee when his or her petition is being considered.
• Be adviced in writing of the results of the petition.
• Be adviced by the committee, where appropriate, of other remedies available to him/ her; and
• Have access at any reasonable time to the petition file.

What happens once a petition has been submitted?
The Legislature will –

• Allocate a number to the petition and inform the petitioner of how the petition is going to be treated;
• Consider the petition unless if it is a matter that the Legislature cannot deal with;
• In the instance that the committee does not deal with the petition, we inform the petitioner of the reasons why the petition cannot be dealt with.

What kind of petitions many not be considered?
The committee may refuse to consider a petition that-

• Falls outside the powers of the Legislature;
• Concerns a matter pending in a court of law;
• Originates from a prisoner and is connected to his/ her case;
• Involves the subject matter that is before a commission of inquiry.

How to send a petition?
A petition must be sent by

• • Via website (e-petitions), or
  • Registered mail, or
  • Personally submitting it to
  • No 41 Charlotte Maxeke Street, Southern Life Plaza, Bloemfontein
  • 051 407 1100

The Petitions Unit can be contacted at
Tel: 0514071100
Email: CiskaK@FSL.GOV.ZA