Support for councillors to increase

Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will, over the next 30 days, review the role, responsibilities and support for ward councillors to enable them to work better.

The review follows a two-day conference in Boksburg.

Speaking after the conference, Gauteng Cooperative Governance MEC Jacob Mamabolo said councillors raised many problems that they said made their work in the community difficult.

Concerns included support from their municipalities, a clear definition of their responsibilities and the functioning of ward committees.

During the next month the provincial department will review the issues raised by the ward councillors and come up with documents to help improve their efficiency.

"We will produce a framework document and a policy pronouncement. We may have to engage the national minister to look at certain legislative changes.

"We will also produce working manuals to guide ward councillors on their work," Mamabolo said.

On Monday, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan said his department would monitor the work of every ward in the 278 municipalities. He said within the next six months a list of basic services would be presented to municipalities to deal with before doing the "fancy stuff".

Yesterday, Mamabolo said the government had failed to provide adequate support that would enable local councillors to do their work.

Problems picked up by councillors were also not attended to effectively.

"The reporting system of ward councillors from the issues they pick up in the communities to entry point in the municipality is a big problem.

"They present their issues but there is no mechanism in place to make sure the issues that ward councillors receive are visibly processed and feedback is clear," Mamabolo said.

Ward councillors have also complained that premiers, MECs and ministers visit communities without warning and make commitments to people. Then they fail to return to report progress on promises. As a result, ward councillors are left to deal with complaints.

A similar conference will be held in September next year.