Contents:

Executive Mayor | Chief Whip | The Speaker | Councillors list | Council meetings

You elect a Council to represent you at municipal level. The Council is there to ensure that efficient and effective services are provided to residents and businesses.

MOGALE City local municipality has two management teams: a political and an administrative team. Together they exist to provide a wide-range of services and facilities to residents and businesses.

The coat of arms The coat of arms, designed by Lehlohonolo Moagi, represents all that Mogale City stands for. The shields, created from elephant tusks, signify strength, security and serenity. The elephant symbolises wisdom, strength, moderation and eternity. The linear movement of the mountain points to the Cradle of Humankind, while the green is for growth and prosperity, and the brown represents the people.

The political team, made up of councillors and headed by an executive mayor and mayoral committee, make strategic and policy decisions for the residents and businesses, the administrative team, headed by the municipal manager and the departmental executive directors, ensure that the political decisions are put into effect.

The Mogale City council's vision is "Quality service delivery for all", and its aims are to enhance the quality of life for all communities, develop the local economy, and encourage tourism. This is being achieved by providing great service and infrastructure.

Mogale City has outlined a set of values that guides its operations:

• Integrity
• Accountability
• Diligent
• Considerate
• Participative
• Responsive

Councillors

Local government elections are held every five years.

Mogale City has 64 councillors; 32 voted for directly to represent individual wards, and 32 chosen from a proportional representation system based on the percentage of votes each political party received in the local government elections.

From these elected representatives the majority party selects a mayor, who appoints a mayoral committee to oversee specific portfolios. Currently there are 12 members of the mayoral committee, 10 portfolio heads, and the Council Speaker and Chief Whip.

Council meetings are held once a month, where items are placed on an agenda and debated. Decisions are made in council and then implemented by the administration.

Role of the Executive Mayor

The Executive Mayor, assisted by the 10-person mayoral committee, has overarching strategic and political responsibility for Mogale City.

The Executive Mayor also represents Mogale City at ceremonial functions.

The Executive Mayor receives reports from the different portfolio committees and presents these reports, along with a recommendation, to the Council. Each member of the mayoral committee has responsibility for a particular portfolio.

It is the role of the Executive Mayor to identify the needs of the municipality, prioritise these needs, and recommend strategies, programmes and services to address these needs. These also have to take into consideration any national and provincial developmental plans. These are all outlined in the Mogale City Integrated Development Plan. Along with these plans are estimates of revenue and expenditure.

The Executive Mayor, and the mayoral committee, also recommends the best way to deliver on the plans, putting in place key performance indicators.

Attention must also be given to the views of the residents, with proper consultation taking place and being incorporated in the decision-making process.

Role of the Speaker

The Speaker acts as the Chairperson of the Council, and is elected by the Council at the first sitting after an election.

The Speaker presides over Council meetings, ensuring that meetings are held regularly – at least every quarter.

The Speaker is responsible for maintaining order during Council meetings, ensuring that the rules and regulations of the meeting are adhered.

Role of the Chief Whip

The Chief Whip is responsible for building and maintaining relationships between all the parties in Council.

It is also the role of the Chief Whip to make sure that portfolio committees run smoothly, and that councillors are allocated to particular committees.

The Chief Whip is also responsible for deciding, in consultation with the Speaker, how debates, questions and motions, will take place.

Council meetings

The Council of 64 councillors meets once a month. These meetings are open to the public and give an insight into how decisions are made and what issues are being debated.

Meetings take place at the Council Chambers, City Hall, corner of Commissioner and Market streets, Krugersdorp.

During the course of the month the various portfolio committees hold closed meetings to identify needs and discuss how best to deal with these.

The portfolio committees include:

• Community safety
• Corporate support services
• Finance
• Health and clinics
• Human settlement
• Infrastructure management
• Local economic development
• Road and transport
• Sport and recreation

The mayoral committee, chaired by the Executive Mayor, meets twice a month.