Do you feel you have time on your hands and want to become more involved in what the City of Johannesburg is doing in your neighbourhood?
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Being part of a ward committee – a structure created to assist the ward councillor in carrying out his or her mandate – could be just what you need. Ultimately, you would be supporting your ward councillor by chairing one of the 10 available portfolios. They are:
Housing, transport, public safety (Metro police and emergency management services), finance and economic development, infrastructure and services (City Power, Johannesburg Water, Pikitup), community development one (sports, culture and youth),
community development two (women, faith-based groups, community-based organisations and non-government organisations), environment, health, development planning and urban management.
A ward committee has no legal front but serves as an advisory committee to support the ward councillor.
The City’s speaker, Vasco Da Gama, explained that the elections of ward committee members will be held under the supervision of the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure fairness and transparency. “Nomination forms will be available from all municipal offices, facilities and City website from 1 November until 25 November,” he said.
Da Gama, during a press briefing on 13 October, said that ward committees will work with ward councillors to ensure that the public participation processes represent the full diversity of interests of that ward.
“However the ward councillor remains at all times fully and solely accountable to the council, their political party and the community,” he said.
Ward committee elections will be held throughout Johannesburg from 28 January to 11 February next year. The elected members will serve until 2021 when the current administration’s term ends.
According to Da Gama, if you would like to stand as a ward committee member, you will have to meet certain requirements:
- Nominees must be registered voters of the ward and be motivated to work on the ward committee by working for a better life for their constituency
- May not work for the municipality
- May not be in arrears for rates or service charges for more than three months
- May not be elected if convicted of an offence and sent to prison without the option of a fine for a period of not less than 12 months after February 1997
- May not be elected if declared of unsound mind by a court.
Da Gama added that the establishment of appropriate structures and processes, like a ward committee, is fundamental for successful service delivery by local government.
Related articles:
Up close and personal with the new speaker, Vasco da Gama
Ask a ward councillor in the new Councillor’s Corner
