DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka convened a meeting yesterday with the mayors, speakers and Exco members from the municipalities that are under the King Cetshwayo, uMkhanyakude and Zululand districts.
Hlomuka said that the meeting was the third leg of his direct engagements with Exco members of all KZN municipalities, both at a local and district level.
He has already met with representatives from the uMgungundlovu and Harry Gwala districts, eThekwini metro and the Ugu and Ilembe districts. He is set to meet with the Amajuba, uThukela and uMzinyathi districts in Newcastle later this week.
Hlomuka said that one of the key issues discussed was the roll-out of the councillor orientation programme which was aimed at equipping the newly elected councillors with the skills they need for the role that they have been entrusted with.
“This is important since 80% of the councillors elected are serving for the very first time.
“The implications for this are that we have a large number of councillors who need to go through a rigorous programme aimed at ensuring that they have sufficient skills for the work they have been entrusted with.”
Hlomuka added that capacity-building programmes were still ongoing in municipalities but it was important for councillors not to lose sight of their roles and responsibilities and what it takes to be an effective councillor when deployed to municipal oversight committees or when doing regular constituency work.
“As part of our direct engagement we placed a strong emphasis on the practical hands-on support that we will be providing to the municipalities.”
He added that the engagements also touched on the councillors’ code of conduct to ensure that elected representatives carry out their duties in an ethical manner.
“This is an important topic to touch on just as we begin a new term of local government so we are all on the same page with regards to what it means to be a councillor within the legal boundaries set by the national legislation as well as the rules laid down by respective councils. It is best to talk about discipline before issues that give rise to disciplinary action occur.”
THE MERCURY