Makhanda ward committee elections will be in full swing over the next few weeks.
Find the time and venue for your ward committee election in the table below.
The committees are made up of members who represent various interests within the ward and are chaired by the ward councillor.
They are meant to be a non-party-political communication channel between communities and municipalities. They allow community members to express their needs and opinions on issues that affect their lives and have them heard at the municipal level via the ward councillor.
Ward committee members receive a modest monthly stipend (usually around R1000) from the municipality.
If anyone wants to become a member, attend your ward committee election and bring as many friends as possible to nominate you and vote for you.
Election of ward committees
Municipal councils make the rules regarding the election of ward committee members, including how often meetings occur and the closure of ward committees. Nominations shall be open for ten but not more than 15 nominees.
The Speaker, who is appointed by the majority of council members, calls a meeting in the ward to elect a ward committee and sets local ward committee policy.
According to Makana Citizens Front (MCF) proportional representation councillor Jonathan Walton, the Ward 4 committee nomination meeting “didn’t take place as originally scheduled on 22 February because there were no rules to guide the meeting”.
The Ward 4 meeting was postponed until 5.30 pm on Tuesday 1 March.
Walton offered this example of an excellent Ward Committee policy document from the Drakenstein Council.
Upcoming ward committee election meetings in Makhanda
| NUMBER | DATE | TIME | VENUE |
| WARD 1 | 22/02/2022 | 5.30 pm | Alfred Dike Hall |
| 23/02/2022 | 5.30 pm | Fort Brown Hall | |
| WARD 2 | 24/02/2022 | 5.30 pm | Noluthando Hall |
| WARD 3 | 24/02/2022 | 5.30 pm | Oval (Tent) |
| WARD 4 | 01/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Recreation Hall |
| WARD 5 | 01/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Ext 9 Hall |
| WARD 6 | 02/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | New Indoor Sport Centre |
| WARD 7 | 02/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Foley’s Ground |
| WARD 8 | 03/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | City Hall |
| WARD 9 | 03/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Adda Tent |
| WARD 10 | 08/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | BB Zondani |
| WARD 11 | 08/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Ext 7 Clinic |
| WARD 12 | 09/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | City Hall |
| WARD 13 | 09/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Vukani Open Space (Tent) |
| 10/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Salem Sport Club | |
| 10/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Hope Fountain School | |
| 15/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Manley Flats | |
| 15/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Collingham | |
| 16/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Zintle School (Belmont Valley) | |
| 16/ 03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Southwell School | |
| 17/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Seven Fountains Hall | |
| 17/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Moss land School | |
| WARD 14 | 22/03/2022 | 5.30 pm | Alicedale Town Hall |
What are the functions of ward committees?
According to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, a ward committee may make recommendations on any matter affecting its ward to the ward councillor or through the ward councillor to the municipal council, the executive committee or support committee.
The ward committee will be regarded as the statutory structure recognised by the municipal council as its consultative body and communication channel on matters affecting the ward, including, but not limited to:
- representing the community in the compilation and implementation of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP);
- ensuring constructive and harmonious interaction between the municipality and the community ;
- attending to all matters that affect and benefit the community acting in the best interest of the community; and
- ensuring active participation of the community in the municipality’s budgetary process.
The role played by ward committees
Ward committees have an important role in bridging the gap between the municipality, its council and the community. Some of the objectives of ward committees are to:
- create formal unbiased communication channels and co-operative partnerships between the municipality and the community within a ward;
- ensure contact between the municipality and the community through the use and payment of services;
- create harmonious relationships between the residents of a ward, ward councillor, geographically diverse community and the municipality;
- facilitate public participation in the process of managing the development, review, and implementation of the municipality’s IDP;
- act as an advisory body on council policies and matters affecting communities in the ward
monitor the implementation of ward plans, programmes and ward discretionary funds (note that control of funds and implementation rests with council); - coordinate ward programmes.
Source: Vuk’uzenzele and Makana Municipality Communications
