Date: 29/03/2005
Source: Ministry of Provincial and Local Government
Title: Mufamadi: Community Participation Conference

Address by Minister of Provincial and Local Government, F.S Mufamadi, at the Community Participation Conference

29 March 2005


Chairperson
Honourable MECs responsible for local government affairs
Mayors and councillors here present
Distinguished guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

South Africa has come a long way, from a society which thrust most of its people into the shadows where they were consigned to waste away, completely severed from expectations of a decent life, growth and prosperity. The constitution of our country, as well as a panoply of legislation passed by parliament since 1996, has provided us with a framework to build an effective service-delivery state. Such a state is expected to be accountable to, and address the needs and priorities of the people.

Participants at this two-day conference come from our three spheres of government as well as from the various formations that inhabit our communities. We are expected to share experiences and insights on how to scale up community participation in the political life of our country. Already, ward committees have been established in more than 80% of the wards. These ward committees are of varying functional strengths. By paying attention to the functional status of these ward committees as well as to the task of establishing the balance of the remaining committees, we shall be extending the benefits of citizenship to greater numbers of our people. It is indeed a privilege for us to have this opportunity for interacting with ward committee practitioners. They are here to share with us, the facts of experience so that we may enrich our thoughts about participatory democracy.

The Municipal Structures Act enjoins us to create ward committees whose tasks include:
* The preparation, implementation and review of Integrated Development Plans (IDPs);
* The establishment, implementation and review of a municipality,