The structures within the City of Johannesburg are quite complex, but knowing who does what and who they are will help build a clearer picture.
Councillors:
Mayor
Herman Mashaba is resposible for the executive work of the council. Hew is elected by the council to provide a strategic direction for the municipality.The mayor is at the centre of the system of governance, with executive powers to manage the City. This means that he or she has an overarching strategic and political responsibility.
Speaker of Council
Vasco Da Gama The Speaker presides over council meetings and makes sure the council meets at least every quarter. He is also the head of the legislative arm of the council. The Speaker maintains order during meetings and ensure that such meetings are held according to the council’s rules and regulations. Da Gama assess the needs of the councillors, arrange suitable training to develop political governance capacity and improve individual skills.
Chief Whip
Dr Kevin Wax’s role is to maintain cohesion within the governing party and to build relationships with other political parties. He makes sure that each of the political parties are properly represented on the various committees and attends to disputes between political parties.
Members of the Mayoral Committee
The mayoral committee functions like a local cabinet, with individual members having responsibility for different aspects of municipal government. Each member of the mayoral committee chairs a portfolio committee, made up of councillors drawn from all political parties.
Finance: Dr Rabelani Dagada
Economic Development: Sharon Peetz
Development Planning: Richard Funzela Ngobeni
Environment and Infrastructure Services: Nico de Jager
Housing: Mzobanzi Ntuli
Transport: Nonhlanhla Makhuba
Public Safety: Michael Sun
Corporate and Shared Services: Dr Valencia Khumalo
Community Development: Nonhlanhla Sifumba
Health and Social Development: Dr Mpho Phalatse
Administration:
Municipal Manager
Dr Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni works closely with the executive mayor to make sure that the vision and mission of the council and its political leadership becomes reality. The City manager, as it is also referred to, continues to head the administrative side of the municipality. He chairs the management team, the head of City administration.
Department Heads
Each department mentioned under the members of the mayoral committee has an operational manager over and above the leadership of the member of teh mayoral committee.
Entity Heads
The entities currently operate as separate companies and the City its sole shareholders. Even though reintegration will remove this structure, these is currently a new board of directors for each entity that will oversee the change to full reintegration into the City’s administration after which they will be dissolved. Currently the boards operate the City’s 12 entities like they would a company selling its services.
The entities are:
Johannesburg Water, City Power, City Parks and Zoo, Johannesburg Property Company, Pikitup, Metrobus, Joburg Market, Metropolitan Trade Company, Johannesburg Roads Agency, Joburg City Theatres, Johannesburg Development Agency and Johannesburg Housing Company.
Source: www.joburg.org.za
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