Date: 20/12/2002
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Dowry: Western Cape municipalities may appoint full-time councillors


STATEMENT BY COBUS DOWRY, MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, REGARDING MORE FULL-TIME COUNCILLORS

MORE FULL-TIME COUNCILLORS IN THE WESTERN CAPE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS RETAINING SKILLS AND BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY

In a Provincial Gazette Extraordinary which was published today the Establishment Notices of municipalities in the Western Cape were amended to allow municipalities to appoint full-time councillors.

The new local government dispensation introduced far greater responsibilities for councillors as were the case in the past. This includes new legal and larger geographical areas of responsibility.

In order to ensure better service delivery and to enable municipalities to have more full-time councillors available for their respective communities it became necessary for the Department of Local Government to address this need.

For this reason and by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 16 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act the full process for consultation and comment were followed and municipalities in the Western Cape may now appoint the following full-time councillors:

The City of Cape Town may in addition to the existing full-time councillors namely:
(1) The Speaker;
(2) The members of the Executive Committee (Including the mayor and deputy mayor)
(3) The Chairpersons of Sub-councils; now also designate
(4) A single whip appointed for council as a full-time councillor

The 22 municipalities with a Collective Executive may designate the following councillors as full-time councillors
(1) The Speaker
(2) The members of the Executive Committee (Including the mayor and deputy mayor)

The 7 municipalities with a Plenary Executive system may designate the following councillor as a full-time councillor
(1) The Speaker also called the Mayor in these municipalities.

These notices will be retrospective with effect from the date the respective councils were reconstituted.

This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction which will ensure that local government will retain the necessary skills but also to draw skills from the community in the local government for future elections.

Enquiries: Media Liaison, Jan Bosman, 083-7755-312
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.westerncape.gov.za)