Election of ward committees
Ward committees are made up of a ward councillor and no more than 10 people who are elected from that ward.
Since last week Monday, different wards have been electing their new ward committee members.
One may ask: What is the role of ward committees. Well, ward committees are meant to encourage participation within the community. Their primary job is to make the council aware of the needs and concerns of residents, and also keep people informed of all activities of council.
Ward committees are made up of a ward councillor and no more than 10 people who are elected from that ward. They serve for five years. Council makes the rules regarding the election of ward committee members and how often the members are supposed to meet. The ward councillor has a responsibility to organise meetings and set up the ward committee agendas. The ward committee is an advisory body, meaning that it can make recommendations to municipal council, but does not have the power to make decisions on its own.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has developed a code of conduct for ward committee members, which is available at all municipalities. The speaker’s responsibility is to call a meeting in the ward for the election of a ward committee; nominations shall be open for a minimum of 10 but not more than 15 nominees. Ward committees are an effective way of spreading information concerning what the community wants from municipal council. Public participation is a vital part of democracy and allows for citizens to get involved in how their communities are governed.
The ward committee system is also said to play a critical role in giving meaning to the notion ‘the people shall govern’. This is because local government is regarded as the level of government closest to the people, and ward committees are one way to ensure that citizens give input into the decisions that local councils make.
Ward committees are also important in fostering relations between ward councillors and key stakeholders such as traditional councils and community developers.
ALSO READ:Ward committees launched at eMadlangeni Municipality
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