Understanding the role of a municipal councillor
There are two types of councillors: ward and proportional representative (PR) councillors.
WITH the Local Government Elections now over, some wards have welcomed new councillors while others have retained their existing ones.
It is important to know who they are and what their primary purpose is. There are two types of councillors: ward and proportional representative (PR) councillors.
ALSO READ: Abantu Butho Congress founder takes eThekwini’s deputy mayor position
A ward councillor represents a specific ward on the municipal council and is elected through the Local Government Elections, such as the ones held throughout South Africa on Monday, November 1.
Ward councillors are the chairperson of their ward committees and must give special attention to their wards. PR councillors, on the other hand, represent a political party on the municipal council and are nominated by the party itself.
According to political analyst, Wandile Msomi, both ward and PR councillors sit on the municipal council, the highest decision making body within the the municipality.
“This is where by-laws that govern the city or the municipality are passed. For example, who gets to set up a table to sell goods in the city, and how a permit is required,” he said.
Msomi said the role of a councillor is not only to have input in law making, but also stretches to the grassroots by ensuring services reach the community.
“They are tasked with meeting the needs of the communities that elected them. They need to answer back to the residents on things such as the reparation of infrastructure, especially roads as well as water and electricity outages and other issues,” he added.
By the book:
According to the Local Government Councillor handbook, the councillor’s role is not an easy one as it demands expertise and knowledge about the local government system and municipal environment.
“There are many challenges that they face during their five-year term, such as high expectations from the communities they serve, competing interests among different groups of citizens living in the municipality, limited human and financial resources, and tight time frames for delivery of services,” the handbook states.
The handbook outlines three important aspects of the councillor’s mandate. These are: acting as representatives of, and reporting back to, the community they serve; providing leadership roles in the council; and, acting as custodians or guardians of public finances.
The handbook states that councillors must work to improve the lives of all of the citizens in the municipality.
“The improvement of people’s lives can be achieved through the provision of basic services, the development and growth of the economy, recognising the skills potential of people living in the municipality, mobilising the people to make their own contribution to improve their living conditions, and job creation,” it stated.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
