Active citizenry is a must

LEADERSHIP is not simply warm bodies in state positions, and equally communities are not merely there to cast votes every five years.

The former must execute their mandate diligently and effectively, and the latter must make sure they do, because accountability by any public representative is their inalienable right.

Who’s to own this councillor mess exposed by the Daily Dispatch (“FAILED TO SERVE”, June 4)?

Some of these councillors were literally imposed by certain political bosses against the will of the people in the 2016 elections, hence this disgraceful revelation is not necessarily astonishing.

Buffalo City Metro speaker Alfred Mtsi neglected to point out that in some cases failure to convene ward meetings dates back to 2016-17 but still, I commend him for spilling the beans.

The solution cannot be a special council meeting for a “stern” warning. There must be appropriate disciplinary measures against them, as well as enforcement of owed ward meetings before the 2018-19 state of the metro address.

And communities must never relax, because to allow a councillor to finish a quarter without convening a meeting is to play accomplice to people who will have been remunerated for doing nothing. — Tony Cyrill Mtintsilana, Zwelitsha