Ward councillors are working 16 hours a day for you
Ward councillors say they go above and beyond their job descripton to help residents with service delivery when their main function is actually in legislature.
Residents often misunderstand the role and functions of a ward councillor. Ralf Bittkau and Devon Steenkamp, councillors of wards 101 and 134 respectively, met the Randburg Sun to explain how they provide oversight on service delivery and escalate municipal issues when they are not addressed timeously.
“A ward councillor is a conduit between the residents and authorities, and he is a politician, not an electrician,” Bittkau said. “We are not, by law, allowed to give instructions to municipal workers or the entities. We ask them for help. This hampers us.”
However, he said they have built relationships with city staff to ‘bypass the system to a degree’ and this helps everyone resolve matters faster. “We immediately escalate our issues but by rights we should be waiting four hours first, to give the municipality a chance to resolve them. But they actually say thank you so much for bringing it to our attention because it speeds up the process.
“We are supposed to be concentrating on the legislative side, on law and policies. We are supposed to be spending four weeks a month getting ready for the next council meeting, but we do not have a chance to because we are too busy sorting out problems of non-delivery by the municipality.”
Bittkau said residents need to realise ward councillors are working very hard for them and should stop putting undue pressure on them. “We are working 16 hours a day minimum. I start at 06:00 and I finish usually at 22:00. People think we are supposed to be there 24/7 because ‘I voted for you’.”
Steenkamp said one of the ways ward councillors hold the municipality accountable is by submitting written questions in council that have to be answered by the relevant MMC and his/her department. “We can use that feedback to give to the community but also, depending on the answer, know what steps need to be followed. By law they are not allowed to lie on those written questions,” he explained. This process is a last resort when there is failed service delivery.
Ward councillors also encourage public participation on various matters, including the Integrated Development Plan, tariffs, municipal projects and upgrades, and more. Every ward councillor has a ward governance officer who helps organise meetings.
Every ward also has its own ward committee of elected members who are supposed to escalate issues they pick up through the council. They do not see to everything, though, and receive a stipend of only R1 000 a month.
Bittkau and Steenkamp encouraged residents to join or form resident associations (RAs), which they deal with to greater effect. RAs give residents power that they would not otherwise have alone, such as requesting temporary road closures and submitting petitions quickly and with more weight.
Ward councillors also share news on WhatsApp, Telegram and other social media. This is not required of them, but they do it to help residents. “We are thankful for the Randburg Sun for putting our messages across and sharing community news,” Steenkamp added.
The pair encouraged residents to contact them if issues have been reported and not dealt with timeously.
Details: Ward 101 councillor Ralf Bittkau Ralf@polka.co.za; 084 572 4002; Ward 134 councillor Devon Steenkamp devon@ward134.co.za;
083 397 9914.
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