The effectiveness of parliamentary constituency offices in the North West needs to be improved, the office of the province’s chief whip said on Thursday.

Mothibedi Kegakilwe’s office said in a statement that the constituency offices had a role to play in averting socio-economic problems.

“This will ensure that service delivery issues within communities, as well as socio-economic challenges similar to those of Marikana, are… resolved before they snowball into crippling and at times fatal protests.”

These views were expressed at an inter-parliamentary caucus in the North West on Thursday.

Those attending included MPs, mayors and councillors.

“The meeting also affirmed the ANC Caucus’ position that Parliament’s democracy offices… are an unnecessary duplication of constituency offices and a wastage of resources,” Kegakilwe’s office said.

Delegates called for these offices to be closed and the resources channelled into the constituency offices.

The caucus meeting formed part of the ANC’s countrywide programme aimed at assessing the ANC’s parliamentary constituency offices’ effectiveness.

SAPA