Three metros have still not formed ward committees

COOPERATIVE Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has revealed that at least three metros are among the 35 municipalities that have not formed ward committees since the November local government election.

The metros include the Nelson Mandela Metro, Johannesburg Metro and the City of Tshwane.

This emerged when Dlamini Zuma was responding in writing to parliamentary questions Freedom Front Plus MP IG Ignatious Michael Groenewald.

Groenewald wrote to Dlamini Zuma enquiring about the municipalities that failed to establish ward committees within 120 days after a local government election.

Ward committees are made up of members who represent various interests within the ward.

“Ward committees are crucial in the local government system as they are the link between the councillor and the community,” reads a document from the Cogta department.

In her written reply, the minister said the municipalities that did not meet the deadline include 10 in the Eastern Cape, eight Northern Cape, seven in the Free State, three each in Gauteng and North West, one each in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga as well as two in the Western Cape.

She also said if a metropolitan or local council was unable to establish a ward committee or ward committees, the speaker should, prior to the expiry of the 120 days after the elections, request the MEC responsible for local government in their province for an extension.

“The reasons for non-compliance or not being able to meet the 120 days deadlines by certain municipalities were due to the late constitution of some municipal councils, especially in hung municipalities, non-adopted public participation and ward committee establishment policies, disputes lodged by communities as well as human resource changes experienced in the Offices of the Speaker.”

Dlamini Zuma also said the municipalities that could not meet the deadline have been guided to request extensions from their respective MECs to ensure compliance.

She confirmed that some municipalities failed to comply with requested extensions and were granted such by their respective MECs.

“These municipalities are proceeding with the establishment of ward committees,” she said.