THE WARD PARTICIPATORY SYSTEM

The executive systems of municipal government, described in the previous sections of this document, enable effective and efficient decision-making. Each municipal council must have one of these executive systems to ensure that it is able to exercise its executive powers effectively.

However, it is equally important to ensure that citizens are able to participate in the municipal decision-making process. Local government is the sphere of government which interacts with ordinary people most directly: it delivers services to people's homes; makes planning decisions which shape the environment in which people live; and maintains local facilities and amenities. It is for this reason that the Constitution says that all municipalities must encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. When this is done effectively, taking into account the needs and interests of all members of the community, municipalities will be able to play a valuable role in providing their services efficiently and fairly throughout their jurisdiction.

To address the need for structured community participation, the executive systems described above can be combined with either the ward participatory or subcouncil participatory systems of government that enable community participation in the matters of local government.

WHAT IS THE WARD PARTICIPATORY SYSTEM?

The ward participatory system of municipal government allows for the establishment of ward committees to facilitate community participation in the matters of local government. Ward committees can also improve communication between the municipal council and local communities, and play a role in identifying community needs and fine-tuning municipal programmes to accommodate local circumstances.

Most municipal areas are divided into wards for the purposes of local government elections. (The exceptions are areas where the municipal council has less than seven members. In these areas there are no wards.) The ward participatory system allows for matters of local concern to be addressed by committees established for wards. This gives residents a more direct voice in the governance of their neighbourhood. It enhances participatory democracy in local government by providing a vehicle for local communities to make their views and needs known to the municipal council.

Like communities, wards contain a wide range of needs and interests. The challenge is to ensure that the ward participatory system works in a way that brings out the diverse needs and interests that exist within a particular ward. The Municipal Structures Act makes provision for this diversity to be represented in ward committees.

HOW ARE WARD COMMITTEES CONSTITUTED?

If a municipal council decides to have ward committees, it must establish a ward committee for each ward in the municipality.

Each ward committee consists of the councillor who represents that ward and a maximum of 10 other persons from the ward area. The councillor for that ward must act as the chairperson of the ward committee. The ward committee members participate in the ward committee on a voluntary basis, and will not be remunerated.

If a municipal council establishes ward committees, it must make rules regarding:

• How the members of ward committees will be appointed.
• The frequency of ward committee meetings.
• The circumstances under which a member of a ward committee must vacate office.

When the municipal council is deciding how the members of ward committees will be appointed, it should try to ensure that a diversity of interests is represented in ward committees. Different groups in the local community have different opinions, needs and experiences. A diversity of opinions will make the ward committee a vibrant democratic structure.

FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF WARD COMMITTEES

Ward committees are mainly advisory committees and may make recommendations on any matter affecting their ward. A municipal council may also delegate additional powers and duties to ward committees.

Ward committees act as a sounding board and advisory structure for their ward councillor. Through their ward councillor, ward committees can make recommendations to the municipal council, the executive committee, the executive mayor, or the relevant metropolitan subcouncil.