THE work of ward committee members in the City of uMhlathuze will only become effective if they stay out of politics and rather assist municipal councillors in serving their communities.
This was the sentiment of uMhlathuze Speaker Mfundo Mthenjana, speaking at an induction workshop for ward committees held last week at the Empangeni Civic Centre.
‘I’m here to make a special appeal to you, to serve every community member equally, without checking whether they voted for you or not,’ said Mthenjana.
‘Remember that this is a community structure, so we don’t want to see you wearing political T-shirts at ward committee meetings.
‘We want you to know that as council we value your contribution to community development, and we have big plans for you,’ he said.
The workshop was facilitated by City Manager for Public Participation, Phiwe Mhlongo, who was assisted by COGTA representative Mandla Shange and other city officials.
The workshop focused on the new policy on the functionality of ward committees.
Addressing the 340 committee members, Mhlongo said the intention of the workshop was to give clarity to the role of ward committees and ward councillors, so that these two do not clash or overlap one another.
Photo-Thando Ndlovu
‘As a ward committee you are not expected to rebel against a municipality or your councillor, or to even lead a service delivery protest march.
‘Yours is to make a meaningful contribution on how best to improve the delivery of services to the community, by being the eyes and ears of your councillors.
‘We expect you to advise and make recommendations to the ward councillor on matters
affecting the ward.
‘We also expect you to disseminate information concerning municipal affairs such as budget, integrated development planning and service delivery options,’ Mhlongo said.
‘You must ensure constructive interaction between the municipality and the community through
the use and coordination of ward community meetings and other community development forums.’
Mhlongo said the election of ward committees were in the past facilitated by councillors, but this has changed to allow IEC official to facilitate the process.
Ward committees were also given an opportunity to air their views and seek clarity on issues pertaining to their job descriptions.
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