Ward 06 of the KwaDukuza Local Municipality covers the greater Ballito area. Tammy Colley is the elected ward councilor for ward 6
THE ROLE OF A WARD COUNCILLOR:
Ward Community Leadership is at the heart of modern local government. Municipal councils work in partnership with local communities and organisations to develop a vision for their local area. They should work collaboratively to improve services and quality of life for citizens. Councillors have a lead role in this process.
What can residents reasonably expect from their Elected Ward Councillor:
The duties of a councillor are set out in legislation such as the Municipal Systems Act which includes a Code of Conduct that spells out specific ways in which the councillor must behave. This is a crucial instrument that citizens can use to hold their councillors to account.
• Ward Councillors are expected to act as representatives of the community they serve; • They must accordingly voice their ward resident’s needs and concerns in council; • They are accountable to the public via meetings at least quarterly; • They are expected to give ward residents a progress report, explaining the decisions of the council in committing resources to development projects and programmes affecting them; • They must assess whether the municipality’s programmes and plans are having their intended impact; • They must also assess whether services are being delivered fairly, effectively and in a sustainable way; • Ward Councillors must attend all meetings - except when they have leave of absence or when they must withdraw due to having a vested interest in the matters being discussed; • They must provide leadership roles in the council; • They must act as custodians or guardians of public finances. • They must not disclose confidential information obtained within the council; • Ward Councillors must act in good faith and in the interest of the municipality; • All their efforts must be directed towards improving the lives of citizens in the municipality.
Your Ward Councillor therefore, serve as the interface between the citizens they represent and the municipal officials who design and implement development polices. Your councillor is the chairperson of his or her ward, and is the person you turn to if you feel there is a need for a new road, for tender boxes to be opened in public in future, or for key documents such as the municipal budget or annual report to be made available in a timely manner. He or she will lobby for such requests as they are in the interest of a better-run municipality.
But the councillor’s job is not just to serve as the voice of the people, or for the expression of their community needs. He or she is also a watchdog who should ensure the municipality implements policies to address the needs of citizens.
It is the duty of a councillor to be accessible to all the people in his or her ward and to represent their interests conscientiously, while acting in the interests of the council as a whole and all the communities served by it.
Ward 06 of the KwaDukuza Local Municipality covers the greater Ballito area. Tammy Colley is the elected ward councilor for ward 6
THE ROLE OF A WARD COUNCILLOR:
Ward Community Leadership is at the heart of modern local government. Municipal councils work in partnership with local communities and organisations to develop a vision for their local area. They should work collaboratively to improve services and quality of life for citizens. Councillors have a lead role in this process.
What can residents reasonably expect from their Elected Ward Councillor:
The duties of a councillor are set out in legislation such as the Municipal Systems Act which includes a Code of Conduct that spells out specific ways in which the councillor must behave. This is a crucial instrument that citizens can use to hold their councillors to account.
• Ward Councillors are expected to act as representatives of the community they serve; • They must accordingly voice their ward resident’s needs and concerns in council; • They are accountable to the public via meetings at least quarterly; • They are expected to give ward residents a progress report, explaining the decisions of the council in committing resources to development projects and programmes affecting them; • They must assess whether the municipality’s programmes and plans are having their intended impact; • They must also assess whether services are being delivered fairly, effectively and in a sustainable way; • Ward Councillors must attend all meetings - except when they have leave of absence or when they must withdraw due to having a vested interest in the matters being discussed; • They must provide leadership roles in the council; • They must act as custodians or guardians of public finances. • They must not disclose confidential information obtained within the council; • Ward Councillors must act in good faith and in the interest of the municipality; • All their efforts must be directed towards improving the lives of citizens in the municipality.
Your Ward Councillor therefore, serve as the interface between the citizens they represent and the municipal officials who design and implement development polices. Your councillor is the chairperson of his or her ward, and is the person you turn to if you feel there is a need for a new road, for tender boxes to be opened in public in future, or for key documents such as the municipal budget or annual report to be made available in a timely manner. He or she will lobby for such requests as they are in the interest of a better-run municipality.
But the councillor’s job is not just to serve as the voice of the people, or for the expression of their community needs. He or she is also a watchdog who should ensure the municipality implements policies to address the needs of citizens.
It is the duty of a councillor to be accessible to all the people in his or her ward and to represent their interests conscientiously, while acting in the interests of the council as a whole and all the communities served by it.
