OPINION | BCM citizens build democracy from bottom up

Public participation is a vital part of our democracy and allows for citizens to get involved in how their communities are governed.

In 2012 David Souter, a retired justice of the US supreme court, argued that the greatest threat to democracy was neither a foreign invasion nor a military coup, but public ignorance of how government functions. “An ignorant people can never remain a free people, and democracy cannot survive too much ignorance,” Souter said.

This is the case in South Africa too. We are developing a young democracy that still needs to be nurtured and our citizens desperately need to become active participants rather than bystanders.

The article “Failed to serve – BCM names and shames councillors who fail to hold ward meetings” (DD June 4) is a reminder that we must be vigilant in empowering our people, including the fourth estate, on how democracies function. Added to this obligation is another – the need for us to understand our individual responsibilities in a democratic state.

That the contents of the report were published in the public domain even though it had never been tabled and adopted by council is a serious concern, however that is but one of many missing pieces in a bigger puzzle.

It is regrettable that the councillors named for this “foul play” then became victims – a bit like being tackled without a ball. For purposes of fair and logical reporting the stigma against them must be erased.

The more important issue is the manner in which we seek to hold public representatives accountable on matters of governance, both as an institution and as the people on the ground. In this regard, whilst criticism remains central to monitoring the performance of public representatives it must be from a proper and factual context.

The Local Government’s Municipal Structures Act 1998 obliges municipalities to develop mechanisms to consult communities and community organisations as part of performing their functions and exercising their powers.

These structures include ward committees which form a vital link between ward councillors, the community and the municipality. Other structures are war rooms, youth councils and community development worker networks. All of these allow community members to influence municipal planning on how to best address their needs.

Ward committees were designed to help improve communication between local municipalities and communities. They are important to link community needs to municipal planning processes.

Members who serve on these committees are well placed together with communities, to ensure that resources are allocated to the most pressing needs.

Ward committees also participate in determining core municipal processes such as integrated development planning, municipal budgeting and municipal performance management.

These also help to ensure financial transfers from national government are used for the intended purposes, such as providing basic services to the poor.

In keeping ward committees functional and accountable to communities, monthly and quarterly meetings are held. The aim here is to consult communities on service delivery developments in particular areas and obtain feedback on the IDP process.

These also seek to create a dialogue on how to better work together. Subsequently, consolidated quarterly reports are submitted to councils as a portfolio of evidence on the functionality of ward committees. These are intended to serve as a tool of accountability to entrench democracy at ward level.

These meetings are based on Batho Pele principles of consultation which subscribe to the notion that people must always be consulted on the level and quality of service they receive.

There’s also the principle of access, which means equal access for everyone to the services they are entitled to; and there is the principle of treating the public with courtesy, openness and transparency.

It is a fact that many ward councillors do not enjoy the support of all in their wards. This can be attributed to a number of factors, many of which are outside of their control.

To ensure good working relations in a ward, government has legislated and introduced several structures to supplement and assist councillors in executing their duties. These structures comprise citizens who represent various interests in wards and make themselves available to serve and are democratically elected.

The role of the councillor is to chair ward committee meetings where members are expected to raise issues from their constituencies.

It is important that communities understand how these structures are configured and what community representatives are supposed to do so they can channel their issues effectively.

Councillors are important for the functioning of any ward, but they do not act alone, they are in partnership with the communities, the local municipality, the province and national government.

Despite all the systems that government has set in place, there are still challenges to effective and transparent service delivery to our people.

Sadly, for the councillors whose faces were published on the newspaper’s front page, the damage to their reputation has been done. But rather than focus on the doom and gloom, this provides an opportunity to share and learn about the mechanics of wards.

Citizens will make our democracy stronger when are informed and get involved to actively hold government to account.

Alfred Mtsi is speaker of Buffalo City Metro council