The Department of Public Service and Administration in partnership with Legal Aid South Africa will roll-out an initiative aimed at strengthening equal access to justice for vulnerable and marginalised groups on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in the Zululand District, KwaZulu-Natal.
Last year, Public Service and Administration Minister, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi officially launched the Open Government Challenge on improving access to justice to marginalised and vulnerable groups, which will act as a vital link between the government and the people advocating for the voiceless to act against all forms of human rights violation.
This initiative is in partnership with the Legal Aid South Africa at both national and provincial level.
DPSA’s Acting Deputy Director-General: Government Services Access and Improvement, Dr Patrick Sokhela said that preparations are well underway to unveil the initiative in the Zululand District, where Minister Mzamo Buthelezi is the District Development Model (DDM) Champion.
“As a caring government, we are taking this initiative to the doorsteps of the marginalised and vulnerable groups who are facing challenges such as lack of legal knowledge, financial constraints, and geographical location.
“Through this comprehensive initiative, we hope not only to inform our people, but to ensure that communities are empowered with legal education, equip them with knowledge needed to assert their rights and navigate the legal system effectively.
“We are doing this to bridge the justice divide through creating more equitable communities by addressing issues such as gender-based violence and femicide as well as promoting social justice and equity for all,” he said.
Last year, the launch and the signing of the pledge on access to justice for marginalised and vulnerable groups was a collaboration between the Department of Public Service and Administration and the South African Universities Law Clinics Association (SAULCA).
The Open Government Challenge on improving access to justice for marginalised and vulnerable groups represents a bold and ambitious commitment by South Africa to address these systemic barriers through collaborative, multi-stakeholder action.
This initiative aligns with the principles of open governance, transparency, accountability, and citizen participation and recognises that no single institution or sector can solve the access to justice crisis alone. Dr Sokhela said taking the initiative to Zululand District reflects government’s commitment to addressing justice and human rights issues across the country.
District Development Model
As the DDM Champion for Zululand District, Minister Buthelezi first undertook his first and introductory visit to the region to address the day-to-day service delivery challenges in June last year.
The District Development Model was identified as a service delivery-planning instrument that aims to respond and address some of the challenges by bringing all spheres of government closer to the people at the district level and to foster an integrated approach to governance.
This required thorough planning, coordination, collaboration, and monitoring, to ensure that government gets value for the money it spends and protects the poor and vulnerable.
This adaptive integrated service delivery model aims to establish a citizen-centric Public Service that is seamless, adaptive, and responsive as per the dictates of the 1997 White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery.
Minister Buthelezi’s leadership is expected to provide maximum support to initiatives aimed at combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
