Eastern Cape delegates to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will this week assess service delivery progress in the province.

The leader of the EC provincial delegation Mandla Rayi said the visit was part of the broader NCOP Provincial Week programme, where all NCOP Members of Parliament visit their home provinces to inspect and monitor delivery progress.

“The programme affords opportunity for members to closely scrutinise the work that provinces are doing, and the kind of quality of services accorded to our people,” said Rayi.

“The EC is the most challenged province when it comes to delivery as it is vastly rural, least developed and lacks infrastructure particularly the north-eastern parts that encompasses the former Transkei,” he said.”

The delegation will this week visit various projects in the OR district, Amathole district and Port Elizabeth and will engage the provincial government and the legislature as well as interact with communities.

Rayi said the province possessed a potential for development given its human resources capital and geographic location in respect to the sea.

“If rural development is to be realised as per the National Development Plan, then the EC has to be prioritised. The provincial government has to take a lead role and provide quality services to its people,” Mr Rayi said.

“When parliament appropriates money to the province, ordinary people should feel the difference,” he said.