A former Executive Mayor of Mogale City Local Municipality, Koketso Calvin Seerane, once said, “Residents of the city cannot be curious bystanders while the politicians run their city”.
In terms of section 21 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000), the Mogale City Local Municipality’s Speaker, councillor Noluthando Mangole, is required to hold council meetings. Hence, the Speaker invited councillors to the 17th Ordinary Council Meeting that was held at the end of January in Centenary Hall.
When the leadership of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) arrived, the gallery was almost empty, which caused confusion among the leadership, who asked whether councillors had extended the invitation to their stakeholders.
Honestly, Sanco was embarrassed and disappointed to see the gallery empty – clearly somebody didn’t do his/ her job properly.
We, then, as the leadership, immediately called upon the Mogale City municipality to develop a culture of municipal governance that complements the formal representative government with a system of participatory governance. The municipality must encourage and create conditions for the community to participate in the affairs of the municipality for this purpose. This process includes the preparation, implementation and review of its integrated development plan; the establishment, implementation and review of its performance –including the outcome and impact of such performance – and the preparation of its budget.
Having said all that doesn’t mean that interference with a municipal council’s right to govern and to exercise the executive and legislative authority of the municipality is permitted.
We want to see the Speaker set up various platforms so that the council can interact with various groupings, including Sanco, business labour, civil society, the churches and others.
I mean, we know that the municipality cannot go about it alone. These platforms must also include an element that makes it possible and attractive for ordinary residents to engage the city as and when they find it necessary.
For example, if members of the Ward Committee had been invited to the 17th Ordinary Council meeting, they would have learned a lot.
The leaders of our city should learn to subscribe to the saying that the municipality cannot go about it alone. The city is ours – let’s govern together.
