The centrality of the Ward Councillors in advancing service delivery and transforming society to become the developmental state as enshrined in the National Development Plan will be the focal point of the two-day provincial ward councillors’ conference which will be held on 1 to 2 September 2014 at Emperors Palace, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo announced today. Gauteng has a total of 508 wards.
This conference is a follow up on the announcement made by MEC Mamabolo during his maiden budget speech last month to call a provincial conference to ensure a meaningful and strategic interaction with councillors in order to strengthen efforts of increasing service delivery in municipalities across Gauteng. This conference occurs within the context of radical transformation of society as announced by the Premier David Makhura during the State of the Province Address in July.
Themed ‘An Inter-Sphere Dialogue towards Strengthening Pro-active, Responsive and Effective Municipal Councils’ the province-wide conference will create a platform of engagement and consultation between ward councillors and the other two spheres of government. It will also create an opportunity for councillors to collectively debate the issues affecting them in their daily work of responding to community needs.
‘This will be a very important gathering of men and women who are at the coalface of service delivery and who are closest to the people of Gauteng. The aim of this conference is to allow councillors to engage robustly on issues affecting their area of work, including their wellbeing and security, impact of service delivery protests, which includes attacks and burning of their homes, their constraints and impediments as public representatives and so on,” said MEC Mamabolo.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Pravin Gordhan and Gauteng Premier David Makhura will be amongst the guest speakers at the conference. In attendance, also, will be Executive Mayors from Gauteng municipalities as wells Council Speakers and Chief Whips. SALGA Gauteng will also be represented at the conference.
The Ward Councillors’ Conference will centre mainly on three sub-themes, namely, Public Participation Processes; Policy Options for Wellbeing of Councillors; and Municipal Reforms in Context. These interrelated issues are particularly important in the light of service delivery protests that have been witnessed in communities. The associated use of extreme violence, vandalism, looting and attacks on councillors and their properties are a cause for concern.
“As a province we must embark on a provincial Campaign against Apartheid Culture of Violence. Whilst our country has made serious strides and progress in many areas, we need mass activism and civic education to eradicate and uproot the culture of violence in many of our communities, such as burning of public property, schools, libraries, clinics, burning of tyres, looting of businesses, stoning of motorists, burning of Councillors’ houses and their physical attacks,” MEC Mamabolo said.
MEC Mamabolo concluded by reiterating the fact that local government touches the lives of all ordinary citizens and therefore everybody’s business. Municipalities are also the point of entry and exit of the other two spheres of government, thereby holding a strategic position in society.
For more information contact:
Motsamai Motlhaolwa
Cell: 079 897 2240
