"... and community organisations in the matters of local government". The Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000, section 16(1)(a), indicates that a municipality must
encourage, and create conditions for the local community to participate in the affairs of the municipality.
Section 73 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, Act 117 of 1998, clearly informs us that metros and local councils must establish ward committees for each ward in the municipality. The Act further states, in section 73(2)(a), that the councillor representing that ward in the council must also be the chairperson of the committee.
To add to the above legislation, resources have been allocated to ward committees, as stated in the local government municipal amendment Acts. With all of this enabling legislation, one would imagine that in every ward in the country there would be vigorous public participation and vibrant ward committees. Sadly, however, this is not the case. And in particular, this is not the case for the majority of wards that have been won by the DA. I doubt if the DA will prove anything in the next five years except that they don't have any structures on the ground. [Interjections.]
The opposition, Chairperson ... [Interjections.]