3 July 2007
A ward committee in Khutsong in the Merafong Local Municipality has been
hailed the best performing ward committee within the Southern District and
received a whopping R100 000. Maquassi Hills and Ventersdorp Local Municipality
received R75 000 and R50 000 respectively as runners-up.
Speaking at the inaugural awards ceremony that was held in Klerksdorp last
Thursday, MEC for Developmental Local Government and Housing, Howard Yawa
commended the Southern District Municipality for initiating the programme. MEC
Yawa said that he was confident that the awards would take community
participation to the next level and contribute towards improved service
delivery. Yawa challenged other district municipalities to emulate the
initiative of the Southern District Municipality.
"Local government is one sphere of government that is closest to the people;
therefore, participation at this level is critical. We therefore need to
maximise public participation efforts and strengthen communication to ensure
that our communities are well informed about developments in their wards and
our plan to make the system of local government work," he said.
MEC Yawa said that by being closer with communities, councillors and ward
committees would be able to defeat elements that seek to undermine
democratically elected structures that are meant to serve the people. "All of
us collectively have a responsibility to defeat greed, opportunism and self
interest in order to roll out the plan to make local government work better for
all our people," said Yawa.
The prize monies are to go towards poverty alleviation projects within the
respective municipalities. Business plans for the identified projects are to be
approved by the Southern District Municipality prior to the release of the
funds.
Municipalities were judged on the following:
* ward committee vacancy: process of filing and period taken to fill the
vacancy
* need analysis: capability of identifying a need, addressing it or referring
it to the relevant department
* feedback mechanism: among committee members and community in general ability
to report back of what they have been asked to do
* ward committee initiatives: any other matter that the ward committee is doing
without the assistance of council or government or any project that the ward
has initiated
* ward committee relationship with stakeholders and government institutions at
all tiers of government.
Contact:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 387 3814
Fax: 018 387 5426
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Developmental Local Government and Housing, North
West Provincial Government
3 July 2007
