However, choosing a party to vote for may be a challenge if you do not understand what the party offers and what it is supposed to offer the community.
According schedule five of the Municipal Structures Act, all councillors, for all municipalities in South Africa, have to abide by a code of conduct, which requires them, among other things, to act as an intermediary between the community and council.
The general conduct of councillors, according to the Act, is:
•Perform the functions of office in good faith, honesty and a transparent manner and act in such a way that the credibility and integrity of the municipality are not compromised.
•Attend each meeting of the municipal council and of a committee of which that councillor is a member, except when their leave of absence is granted or they withdraw from the meeting in terms of this code.
•Disclose to the municipal council, or to any committee of which that councillor is a member, any direct or indirect personal or private business interests that, that councillor, or any spouse, partner or business associate of that councillor may have in any matter, before the council or the committee.
A councillor who, or whose spouse, partner, business associate or close family member acquired or stands to acquire any direct benefit from a contract concluded with the municipality, must disclose full particulars of the benefit of which the councillor is aware at the first meeting of the municipal council at which it is possible for the councillor to make the disclosure.
This section does not apply to an interest or benefit which a councillor, or a spouse, partner, business associate or close family member, has or acquires in common with other residents of the municipality.
•When elected or appointed, a councillor must, within 60 days, declare in writing to the municipal manager the following financial interests held by that councillor:
•A councillor who is a full-time councillor may not undertake any other paid work, except with the consent of a municipal council, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld.
•A councillor may not request, solicit or accept any reward, gift or favour for persuading the council or committee, or disclosing confidential information.
•A councillor may not encourage or participate in any conduct which would cause or contribute to maladministration in the council.
•A councillor may not use, take, acquire or benefit from any property or asset owned, controlled or managed by the municipality to which that councillor has no right.
The council is made up of elected members, who approve policies and by-laws for their area.
The work of the council is co-ordinated by a mayor who is elected by council and is assisted by an executive or mayoral committee, made up of councillors from the ruling party.
Seat allocations are divided based on a formula used by the IEC, based on votes and candidates involved.
In Ekurhuleni, there are a total of 224 seats available, 112 belong to PR councillors and 112 belong to ward councillors.
Then ward elections are divided by the most number of votes per candidate.
For example, 50 candidates belong to party A, 50 candidates belong to party B, eight candidates belong to party C and four candidates are independent.
A total sum of votes per party is then concluded; for example party A has 14 000 votes and party B has 16 000 and party C has 5 000 votes, which totals 35 000 votes.
The total votes for all parties are then divided by the number of available seats (this excludes the independents who belong to no party).
For example, 112 ward candidate seats minus four independents leaves a total of 108 seats.
For example, 35 000 divided by 108 seats plus one, this concludes the quota of 324.074.
The party’s votes are then divided by the quota.
For example, party A of 14 000 votes divided by 324.074 equals to a total of 43.2000
This means that party A will receive 43 seats.
Any party whose total exceed 0.50 will receive an extra seat.
Also read: Community saddened by Goby’s departure
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