THE A TO Z OF BEING A COUNCILLOR
They must know they are there to serve the people
NEWLY-appointed councillors from the Chris Hani district are undergoing a five-day induction programme by the South African Local Government Association (Salga) at the Gali Thembani centre.
Salga provincial executive officer in the Eastern Cape Gcinikhaya Mpuza said the programme, which started on Monday, ends today and was expected to equip the councillors with leadership skills.
“This is what we call the integrated councillor programme that will be running throughout the country. In 2011 the programme was over two days and the research work Salga has done tells us that we had to design a new, comprehensive programme which is more of a learning journey.
“We achieved the set goals in 2011 but we realised that we overloaded them and now we have decided to stretch it to five days so that it can be done perfectly. We have developed a manual that is simple and which will be a tool that they can use for the next five years. It raises all the laws, processes and procedures of the municipality.”
The councillors have been going through a number of modules to build their capabilities and to ensure an improved understanding of local government.
“We want them to know the local government space and the laws that regulate the local government sector. We take them through ethical leadership as well as visionary and thought leadership to become servants of the people.
“We want skilled leaders who are in a position to provide services as quickly as possible.”
Mpuza said the workshop was “just the beginning”.
“This is a learning pathway we have developed and it is phased into three sections. In the second phase they will be trained in their own councils and in the third phase we will have portfolio-based training where they will be linked to e-learning. They must continue to learn because the white paper on local government characterises local government as a leading and learning sector because they have the huge responsibility of integrating policy and service delivery at local government level.”
Traditional leaders from the area have also been included.
“We are bringing the new and the old councillors into the system as well as traditional leaders. We want them as a united front so that they will fulfil the objects of local government.
“The councillors are also taken through an accountability framework. They must go back and report to their communities. We are preparing them to understand that they will be held accountable. We want them to be responsive to community and they must know that they are there to serve.”