ROOTING GOVERNMENT AMONGST THE PEOPLE

Public Participation Conference Report

Western Cape Department of Housing and Local Government

Contents

1. Conference declaration 2 2. Executive summary 4 3. Record of conference proceedings 5 3.1 Welcome and introduction 5 3.2 Key note addresses 5 3.3 Best practice presentations 8 3.4 Academic perspectives 12 3.5 Commission reports 13 3.6 Closing address 19

Appendices: Programme Slide presentations Attendance

1 1. CONFERENCE DECLARATION

We, the 1700 participants gathered at this Conference, being in active service of the people of the Western Cape and as elected representatives and government officials, ward committee members, CDWs and civil society, will strive to: ° Improve the lives of the poor through our programmes and projects ° Strengthen the relationship between government and all the people ° Build accountable and responsive local and provincial government ° Urgently deal with service delivery problems experienced by some communities.

We believe that public participation is the key to ensuring that government understands the needs of the people and makes decisions that will meet those needs in the best possible way. We also believe that government alone cannot build a better life and that communities, community organisations, faith based organisations, business and all other sectors of our society have to be the partners of government. We commit ourselves to building a system of governance that encourages and uses participation and responds to the voices of the people. We will build a Batho Pele culture of service that limits delays caused by bureaucracy and complex procedures.

This conference recognises the progress already made by many municipalities as well as the shortcomings of some of our programmes. We will strive to make participation effective, interactive and meaningful and commit to the following key tasks: ° Developing coherent municipal strategies for ongoing communication and participation around all development and service projects with clear roles for councillors, officials, ward committees and CDWs. ° Building consistent interaction with all sectors in our municipality through stakeholder forums, ward committees and community development workers. ° Ensuring that our ward and other councillors remain in dynamic contact with the people in their wards and the community, with the help of ward committee members. ° Empowering our ward committees and CDWs to monitor progress and report problems with delivery or services.

2 ° Setting up clear mechanisms for speedily addressing and reporting back on the community problems that ward committees, CDWs and our communities bring to the municipality. ° Providing all possible financial, administrative and political support for the public participation process, including the work of ward committees and CDWs. ° Building the inter-governmental mechanisms needed to ensure that Local, District, Provincial and National government work together to speed up delivery and address the needs of our people. ° Supporting and strengthening our capacity to implement through cooperation between provincial and local government and SALGA.

In terms of immediate action, we undertake to: ° Ensure that ward committees are established in all wards within the next two months. ° Hold ward meetings where our ward councillors report to the people on the impact of the budget and IDP in their ward, within the next two months. ° Make immediate interventions to deal with serious service delivery problems and to communicate with affected communities about our plans. ° Within three months all Speakers in the Western Cape will report on the progress made in implementing ward committee and public participation programmes ° Within three months all Mayors in the Western Cape will report on the progress made in dealing with serious service delivery problems

Through these actions we will give expression to our quest to root government amongst the people.

3 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Public Participation Conference focussed on strengthening public participation at municipal level through effective use of ward committees, community development workers and other mechanisms.

It was attended by over 1 700 delegates from all municipalities in the Western Cape. Delegates were drawn from councils, municipal management, ward committees, community development workers and civil society. A number of MECs and senior provincial officials also attended.

Key note presentations were made at the beginning of the conference by the MEC for Local Government and Housing, the Mayor of and the national Department of Local Government and Housing. They all emphasised government’s commitment to participation as a means to deepen democracy and improve the decisions and budgets adopted by government.

Best practices for supporting ward committees, CDWs and public participation were presented by six municipalities. This was followed by brief presentations of academic perspectives on public participation.

All delegates attended commissions that discussed how to improve communication, participation, the effective functioning of ward committees and the best use of community development workers. Key recommendation include the improvement of municipal support, the mainstreaming of participation as part of a municipal strategy and setting up mechanisms that ensure an effective municipal response to the problems, issues and proposals raised through the participation process.

The Premier of the Western Cape delivered a closing address and the conference adopted a declaration that affirmed the commitment of all participants to public participation and summarised practical and immediate steps that will be taken by municipalities.

The next section of this report provides a detailed summary of the conference proceedings.

4 3. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

NOTE: This report contains a summary of all inputs and discussion at the conference. The slides used by presenters are available in the appendices.

3.1 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Opening prayers were made by the Rev. Luckett and Sheik Gabriels.

Programme director, Zorah Ebrahim welcomed delegates and introduced Minister Marius Fransman, Mayor NomaIndia Mfeketo and Minister Tasneem Essop. She introduced the conference theme of “Rooting Government Amongst the People” and stressed that democracy can only be real if it communicates the shared values between government and the people.

This was followed by an audio visual presentation on the history and path to democracy and participation in South Africa. Poems were read by: ° Ismail Davids from the Foundation for Contemporary Research – “Voices from Below” and ° Xolani Sonti, a community development worker – “Batho Pele”.

3.2 KEY NOTE ADDRESSES

3.2.1 “Enhancing public participation to accelerate service delivery in building a home for all” Mr Marius Fransman – MEC for Housing and Local Government

The conference takes place within the context of government’s commitment to addressing the plight of the poorest people in the province and establishing a real home for all. It is important to understand the present problems experienced in terms of service delivery and the inter-linked causes of that poor delivery. A constant theme in almost all municipalities is the lack of communication between council and communities. Plans, problems and new development projects should be discussed with communities. Some of the service delivery protests can be blamed on our unwillingness to tell the people bad news. Residents will usually understand when we say delivery of housing will take a long time, but there are many other problems they experience that we can address immediately. However, our lack of effective communication channels often means they are not able to tell us their problems.

This conference should be a defining moment in ensuring that we improve participation by the people and effective delivery of basic services.

The policy environment in terms of the constitution, legislation and government policy stresses issues of governance and the importance of the municipal developmental mandate to deliver services and involve the people in decisions that affect their lives. We

5 need both a representative democracy in terms of democratic elections that puts in place accountable councillors and an ongoing interactive participatory democracy. We need to understand the different levels of participation – from just informing people to actively involving them as partners in delivery. The appropriate form of participation should be chosen – for many of the current problems communities are simply uninformed about plans and progress.

We have community development workers, ward committees and other mechanisms in place to bring government closer to the people and enhance the participation of people in determining their needs and advising government on their priorities. These mechanisms will only be effective if they are properly resourced and supported by municipalities. At the same time we should not see ward committees as the answer to all our participation and communication problems. Ward committees are there to facilitate and enhance participation, not to become the only means of communicating with and involving the community.

We have to carefully structure the political space that we open up for participation to ensure that it serves the poorest and most marginalised.

3.2.2 “Governance by the People – The importance of public participation in building a better life for all” Cllr. NomaIndia Mfeketo – Mayor of Cape Town

We have come a long way towards transforming our society from its history of division and exclusion and made progress towards meeting our goals of reconstruction and development. The current spate of protests cannot simply be seen as caused by a lack of service delivery or politicians not doing their work. Whilst no other country has turned the tide as much as we have in such a short space of time, we must remember that people have been waiting for decades for improvements to their lives. We made a choice to spend our first ten years on reconciliation and laying the foundation for development and transformation. It is a slower process than we anticipated and the protests have focussed our attention even more on the need to involve and inform the public about our service delivery plans and programmes.

Our institutions must be geared up to become more effective in addressing public participation. Simply fulfilling a legislative requirement is not enough – we have to involve and empower the communities to become involved in their own liberation and development. There is enough time in our IDP and budget cycles to involve people. These mechanisms should be developed so that people can own the plans and programmes and hold us accountable for delivery. Transformation is almost complete in most municipalities, but we are still missing the dynamic and ongoing interaction with our communities, as well as the process to integrate and respond to the issues raised to make the participation meaningful.

We need the involvement of all sectors in our community, including the media and all parties. We should work together constructively and not sensationalise problems, but deal

6 with them and improve participation. We need strong institutional investment to make sure that we can hear the problems and respond effectively and speedily. We are learning as we work – these are not shortcomings, but challenges. It is important for us to use this conference to work out what we can do to ensure that meaningful public participation makes us work with, and not just for the people. If we make public participation work, we will build responsible citizens who do not feel they have to burn tyres to make their voices heard.

3.2.3 “National Challenges in building municipal capacity around public participation” Ms Xoliswa Sibeko – Department of Provincial and Local Government

The policy framework for public participation is set down in the constitution and further developed in the Local Government White Paper, and the Municipal Structures and Systems Acts. Government has also launched Project Consolidate to assist municipalities facing challenges after the transformation phase we have been through.

Participation is about narrowing the gap between government and the people, involving and empowering the people and ensuring that government addresses the needs of the people. Ward committees are there to strengthen the link between elected representatives and the people. The different mechanisms like izimbizo, road-shows and community meetings, must work together to ensure participation. Opportunities for participation built into our processes – not just for needs assessment but also for monitoring and review of implementation.

Ward committees must adopt a sectoral approach in urban areas and a geographic model in rural area. Ward committee members could be assigned portfolios similar to mayoral or executive committee and be responsible for interacting with CBOs and NGOs and others on those issues. The ward committee and community should be involved in broad planning from below that influences the municipal plan. CDWs will also assist the community to become more effectively involved in planning and monitoring. Participation through sectoral advisory councils should happen in all spheres of government. Community meetings should be held and fed back into municipal council agendas through the speaker’s office. Resources must be made available to support and empower ward committees in terms of operations and administration.

3.2.4 “Social capital and public participation.” Dr Virginia Petersen – Head of Department of Social Development, Western Cape

Social capital is the glue that holds together our communities and makes them caring and safe neighbourhoods. Sustainable public participation takes more than a once-off imbizo. It is not only the responsibility of politicians and community structures – officials must also be in touch with the community and provide everyone with appropriate information based on community needs. The development of social capital in our communities needs

7 informed and empowered communities. Capacity development needs an ongoing commitment from all of us – Community development workers, ward committees and councillors as well as officials.

3.3 INTRODUCTION TO KEY ISSUES AND BEST PRACTICE PRESENTATIONS Chairperson: Ms Shanaaz Majiet, Head of Department of Housing and Local Government, Western Cape

3.3.1 “A case study of municipal support for ward committees” Stellenbosch – Municipal Manager - Mr. Bruce Kannemeyer

Public participation and ward committees are not easy to set up and implement. We developed a model appropriate for our conditions. This model may not necessarily be a best practice for all.

We adopted a preamble to the IDP that commits the municipality to community participation and unity in diversity. Council passed resolutions that placed ward committees at the centre of public participation. Ward committees have a critical role in planning as well as monitoring implementation. There are 18 wards and most ward committees are functioning well, though there are some teething problems. An office has been set up for each ward committee in 13 wards with phone, fax, internet and administrators are in the process of being employed.

A separate stream for ward committee correspondence has been set up in the municipality to separate it from other correspondence. This is channelled to central office and a seven day deadline for response is implemented. Each of the four clusters of the municipality relates to one person on each ward committee. We have embarked on a capacity building programme focussing on financial management and budget literacy. This programme targets ward councillors and a few members of each ward committee. Each ward has been allocated R50 000 for a ward based project as well as staff, training and administration. Ward committees are positioned in office of the Municipal Manager and the IDP manager. The management work closely with CDWs as well as four dedicated support personnel for ward committees.

3.3.2 “A case study of establishing ward committees and communication systems established between council and ward committees” Overstrand Municipality – Municipal Manager - Advocate Jan Koekemoer

A municipal policy has been developed that includes public participation and building political support. We have approved four week meeting cycle to strengthen continuous communication between councillors and ward committees. Ward committee discussions are aligned to council and committee issues. A week after ward committee meetings,

8 portfolio committees meet and get input from wards. A ward forum to provide direct access has been set up at a central level. This forum includes ward committee members and the executive mayor.

Senior officials have taken charge of public participation and it is directly managed by the executive mayor and the municipal manager. Language is pre-agreed for minutes, discussions, etc. Agenda items are given to people in advance. Budget details are provided to ward committees and they play an active part in discussion and prioritisation of projects that are funded. Progress reports are given regularly and service delivery problems that are raised by ward committee members are addressed by officials. Maintenance issues are dealt with by help desks and not ward committee meetings.

We advertise the quarterly ward committee meetings to get greater public involvement. We also use newsletters, notice boards, etc to keep the community informed. The municipality has committed funds, but costs are minimal with no officials getting overtime pay for attending meetings.

The outcomes include a much better informed community and a more sensitive and responsive municipal administration. The challenges that remain are to make sure ward committees accept democratic council decisions even when it does not address all proposals from the ward committee.

3.3.3 “The Mayor’s listening campaign” – Manager Public Participation - Mr. Bathembu Lugulwana

The campaign is just one tool to enhance participation. The mayor plus senior officials go to the people and listen to their needs at public meetings right across the city. In addition, interaction with civil society, drop in boxes and call centres are used to get feedback from citizens. The meetings serve to bring top political and administrative management closer to the people and to sensitise them to the perceptions, problems and needs of the people.

The municipal management has been geared to process the feedback and ensure that a coherent response is developed and that these plans are integrated in the municipal budget and IDP. The campaign has run for two years but has limitations – the nature of public meetings can generate a wish list and does not always reflect the priority issues. It has to be supplemented by other participation mechanisms. Building an informed citizenry also requires the use of media and other tools.

The city does perception surveys that also get deeper and more focussed feedback that feeds into planning.

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3.3.4 “The aims of the CDW programme as a government initiative to strengthen participatory governance. An input from a municipality that fully supports and embrace the CDW programme” Saldanha Bay Municipality – Executive Mayor – Cllr J. Stoffels

CDWs went through an induction programme to understand the municipality and the IDP – just like any other staff. We have ten CDWS and also ten ward. They have all been introduced to the departments and we have made sure they understand each others’ role. CDWs focus on social development and work most closely with that department of the municipality.

The CDWs also had a workshop on developmental government. So far they have worked on issues of housing, like doing a housing survey to determine affordability, and doing other work that officials cannot do. They are our hands and feet and our ears and eyes. They have also helped us to determine the levels of poverty in different areas so that it can inform our approach to writing off arrears. They have helped us to identify bursary beneficiaries. They are now doing a skills audit that will contribute to our LED strategy.

The local media has covered their work favourably and this helps to introduce them to the community. The mayor has regular briefings with CDWs and has an open door to discuss their problems. The programme also has some problems and challenges, but we are committed to working together to create a home for all.

3.3.5 “IDP as a tool to enhance public participation – show casing of a municipality in the Western Cape” City of Cape Town – Director IDP and Business Planning – Dr. M. van der Merwe

The city has tried to align planning and public participation processes and has tried hard to get effective participation in IDP development. The mayor’s listening campaign is amplified by other meetings with stakeholders as well as surveys. Consultative meetings and workshops are most effective to get views and opinions and provide answers immediately to people. Ward committees have only recently been set up but are already well resourced and administered by sub- councils. They should become another effective way of engaging the community.

We have looked at best practice from the Brazilian city of Porto Allegre in terms of participatory budgeting in sub-regions. The process provides a menu of local issues and allows local communities to makes recommendations to the council in an annual cycle that includes meetings, votes and reviews. The meetings identify problems, priorities and also review municipal plans and budgets. The benefits are many, but the costs are high and the process needs commitment and resources.

10 Our IDP process includes participation for the first few months, then feedback sessions where clear plans are presented to people’s assemblies. Stakeholder consultation happens at city level with specific sectors and at sub–council and ward level. The first stage of consultation in September will result in the packaging of each community’s needs for the information of the decision-makers and implementers.

3.3.6 “Peoples Housing Project: as a case study reflecting on partnerships and community involvement” Drakenstein Municipality – Project Manager Housing – Mr. Cupido Jacobs

The municipality is the biggest municipality outside the City and has 8% of the housing backlogs in the province. Under the previous housing policy, many housing developments could not move forward because of the “own contribution” that people could not afford.

We decided to go the route of the People’s Housing Process (PHP) and work in partnership with the community. Since then we fast tracked the approval time from 2 months to ten days. The concept was new for the municipality and community and we initially had problems because of this as well as the lack of training. The PHP had some history in the area and problems were experienced in the past. Some representatives of beneficiaries were not effective. Problems were also experienced with support and quality control and leading to defective houses, slow procurement and slow construction.

The municipality addressed this by putting project management and supervision in place and ensuring that the municipality properly controls the many service providers and processes to protect the beneficiaries. Community meetings were held with beneficiaries regularly and the project managers worked closely with beneficiary committees. Officials must be dedicated and committed and be there when the community needs them – not wait until tyres are burning.

3.3.7 Chairperson’s summary

There are clear and compelling benefits to public participation and they far outweigh the costs. The fundamentals that must be in place to get all our tools and structures to work include administrative infrastructure and support, finances and resources, an overall strategy for participation that works with the IDP cycle and a high level of commitment from officials and hands on project management.

A key question that needs further discussion is how much more we can do to make public participation benefit the community and the municipality.

11 3.4 ACADEMIC PERSPECTIVES

3.4.1 “The promotion of development and good governance through public participation” – Dr. Kealeboga J Maphunye

Representative democracy as well as development without public participation is weak. Public participation legitimises government decisions and actions. It also improves the quality of decisions and creates space for public opinion in the policy making process. It enhances people centred democracy.

Good governance is an effective state that involves civil society in policy making and allows the private sector to play a productive and independent role in the economy. It also needs transparency, accountability, representation, participation, responsiveness, legitimacy, partnership and equity.

A key challenge is that public participation is sometimes seen as the solution for all problems in relation to development. In addition, the time factor and other costs are sometimes seen as reasons to limit participation.

There is a need for more research about the links between public participation and good governance. Each municipality also needs to do research about needs and opinions and that research should be effectively utilised and not dismissed. We need to identify the participation gaps and promote the constant use of different means of communication. Different contexts need different forms of public participation.

4.4.2 “A critical perspective on public participation linked to international case studies and local best practises” Professor Mark Swilling

South Africans are one of the most highly mobilised politically motivated peoples in the world. The notion of participatory development has a history and is a result of hard won struggle. It should represent a way of deepening democracy and turn the development process into an authentic experience. Participation is about knowledge and who controls knowledge – that is power.

Who defines the development and change you need? Often development talk is talk only and practice is all about avoiding re-distribution. Often participation is just about information. A second level is consultation, but it is not always clear whose views are heard. A third level is deeper and ongoing involvement.

There are three broad approaches for civil society involvement namely: passive participation as audience and voters, independent rights based participation (from lobbying to protest action) and thirdly ongoing concerned group involvement (such as trade unions in workplace).

12 Some challenges and problems in the current participatory processes: The IDP process has often been passive rather than interactive. Participation is often seen by decision makers as a delay in the development process. The costs of participation are too often born by the poor and not by those who benefit from their input.

Key lessons: ° Do not hide behind consultants. That approach is set up to fail – It costs too much and stops knowledge filtering to municipality. ° Do not support public participation if you do not mean it. ° It should be extended to the economic sphere and not just the political sphere. ° Independent action by civil society should not be feared. Social movements are feared by people who are scared of being voted out.

3.5 COMMISSION REPORTS

All delegates met in commissions to discuss the following questions:

Topic 1: Communication, consultation and participation 1. How can we use communication, consultation and participation to overcome some service delivery problems? 2. What role can the municipality, ward councillors, ward committees, CDW’s and media play in: ° building accountable representatives and ° responsible and informed citizenry?

Topic 2: Support from municipalities to ward committees. 1. How can ward committees strengthen: ° communication and ° participation between government and the broader community 2. How best can we elect ward committees? 3. What support is necessary to make ward committees work effectively?

Topic 3: CDW-programme 1. How can CDW’s strengthen and enhance communication and participation: ° within wards and ° between government and the broader community 2. What support is needed to help CDWs work effectively?

The reports from all three commissions were consolidated and presented to the plenary.

13 3.5.1 Topic 1: Communication, consultation and participation

OVERALL COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION STRATEGY

On the first questions commissions agreed that effective communication and participation is only possible if the municipality has a clear and comprehensive strategy that clarifies exactly what has to be communicated, to whom, how and by whom. The strategy should spell out the exact role the municipality, ward councilors, ward committees and CDWs must play. It should include plans and budgetary allocations to resource the implementation of the strategy. Any formal communication through the media or the use of leaflets and advertisements should complement the other communication and participation methods.

Many suggestions were made for how to improve our present way of doing things. Commissions proposed the following approaches:

Public meetings

Timeframes should be set for regular public meetings at ward level. They should be attended by officials, ward councilors and PR councilors deployed to the ward, mayoral or executive committee members, ward committee members and CDWs. The public at large should be invited and organized formations should be specifically targeted. Where possible, representatives of other spheres of government should also attend – especially if specific problems or issues in the community are not a local government competence.

We should try to engage with our communities in forums where they already gather such as religious services, school assemblies and meetings of community organisations. Different aspects of this work could involve councilors, ward committees and/or CDWs. This should especially be used in rural areas where people cannot travel to attend special meetings.

During a specific consultation cycle around the IDP or budget these meetings should take the form of consultation meetings. Report back meetings should be held once any plans are developed or finalised. Public meetings should be structured to encourage participation and issues like language, format and presentation styles should be adapted to empower participants.

Direct contact

Many people do not attend meetings and door-to-door contact is an important way of reaching all people. It can be used for spreading information, getting views, checking needs and doing more formal surveys. Sectoral work where specific groups are targeted was seen as especially important for determining needs of marginalized groups or canvassing the opinions of specifically targeted beneficiaries. It can also be used for building longer term partnerships on community projects or service delivery.

14 Media

Leaflets, posters, videos, advertisements are a useful way of reaching the whole community, but has serious limitations when targeting illiterate people. It can often be too complex or in the wrong language and may not get the message across if done in isolation from other outreach methods. We should distribute a newsletter about progress and problems on service delivery as well as publicising where inputs from the community are required. The inclusion of leaflets in utility bills is good, but again has limitations such as literacy and being treated as junk mail. Media should also be used to introduce the ward committee and CDWs to the community and to also make it clear what the community can use them for.

Community radio and local newspapers

These media already reach most people and should be used to get our messages across. They are best for informing the public about plans, progress, problems and consultation processes.

Simplify official documents

All documents that we want to use in our communication or participation work should be edited into plain language so that ordinary people can understand its contents and provide constructive input.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The commissions discussed the different roles that the municipality, ward councillors, ward committees, CDWs and the media can play in building a responsible and informed citizenry.

Commissions did not discuss the media in detail and focused mostly on the roles of ward committees, CDWs and councilors. It was also emphasised that officials must be part of ward committee meetings on a monthly basis and should be present when community information or consultation meetings take place.

The municipality

The municipality has to ensure that the strategy is resourced and supported by officials and councillors. The speaker and political parties should monitor performance and actions of ward councilors and replace ward councilors who are not performing and are not accountable to community. A regular cycle of meetings and arrangements should be put in place so that community knows when meetings will happen and when they can expect their ward councilor to account or report to them.

Help desks must be set up at municipalities for communities to have access to advice and responses when they have problems. Ward committees and CDW roles are dealt with in detail in the reports that follow.

15 3.5.2 Topic 2: Support from municipalities to ward committees

ROLE OF WARD COMMITTEE IN STRENGTHENING COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION

Commissions broadly agreed that ward committees should play a central role in facilitating interaction between communities and government. This would include mobilising communities to attend municipal events, participating in door to door work and other activities that require direct contact with citizens. Sectoral or geographic representation should ensure that ward committee members are regularly in touch with a specific sector and access that sector for consultation and participation.

Currently in most municipalities, ward committees are under-resourced and lack training and adequate municipal support to undertake these tasks. Further the lack of clarity on the role of ward committees makes this situation more difficult. Where ward councilors do not actively participate in ward committees, ward committee members find it difficult to fulfill their mandate.

Suggested ways of strengthening ward committee work in terms of outreach to the community were: ° Ward committees should use cost-effective ways of interacting with the community such as attending existing meetings in their sectors, doing door-to-door work and utilising council budgets for participation and report back to hold regular meetings in the community. All interactions should be part of an overall strategy. The decision- making cycles of council should correspond with consultation programmes. The issues that are being dealt with should be clear and ward committees should have the necessary information and support to answer questions and consult effectively. ° Ward committees should actively mobilize volunteers from the community to get involved in municipal delivery of services or development projects. ° Ward committees should make special efforts in areas where most voters are poor and marginalised. These voters often have less of a voice and are poorly represented in forums. ° All meetings that involve the community should be set at times that are convenient and appropriate for target groups like women. ° In rural areas regular area meetings should be held. ° When necessary extended forums should be called by the ward committee to ensure greater participation by sectors touched by a specific issue or programme. ° Ward committee members and community members should be encouraged to attend open sessions in council and to make submissions or petitions since these are also processes for participation.

SUPPORT NEEDED FROM MUNICIPALITY

All commissions discussed the support municipalities should provide and strong proposals were made to ensure that the work of ward committees are properly resourced and supported. Among these were calls for access to the resources needed to play their

16 role as an interface with the community. Administrative support for calling meetings, booking venues and taking minutes was another important type of support needed. Budgets should also be available for transport. While some felt that each ward committee should have an office, this was not seen as realistic in all areas and the use of other council facilities and administrative support was recommended. Arrangements could be made with multi-purpose centres, community halls, clinics, schools or other public facilities.

Incentives for ward committee members were also discussed and it was stressed that members represent sectors and should have a personal commitment to furthering the interests of their sector. At the same time, many members are unemployed and find it difficult to sponsor their own ward committee work. While payment may be impossible, members should at least be re-imbursed for expenses. Incentives in the form of community or mayoral awards and other forms of recognition should also be used.

Ward committees should have clear roles as well as a structure and agendas that enable them to play that role. They need information and input from officials and council on a regular basis. They have to see the plans and budgets and be empowered to understand and interpret them for the community. IDP documents and other technical project plans should be simplified centrally and training should be held to make sure ward committees and councillors can explain them to the community in an accessible way. Without this public participation is not possible.

Other forms of training should also be held to help ward committees understand service options, municipal structures and the budget.

Where councillors fail to work on a regular basis with their ward committees, ward committees have the right to complain and the speaker should take action to make sure the people of that ward do not suffer or get excluded because of the non-performance of a councillor. We should also determine in our municipalities if ward committees may meet when a councillor fails to attend.

The problems communities raised with ward committees must be taken to the municipality through a clear channel that can deal with them speedily. Too often we make reports and see no action because there is no speedy processing of reports at a high level where action can be initiated. A system that tracks issues and ensures report-back to the committee that raised the issue should be developed.

ELECTION OF WARD COMMITTEES

Delegates agreed that the current sectoral and geographical approaches are sufficient if properly used. It is important to involve the sectors or areas in nomination and then to make sure that the election happens at a well advertised and attended community meeting. Representatives of each sector should be known to the sector and be active in it. Ward committees should not just be the friends of a ward councilor since that defeats the object of increasing the councilors reach to the community.

17 3.5.3 Topic 3: Community Development Workers

The ward committees dominated the discussion in most commissions and as a result, CDWs were dealt with less thoroughly.

ROLE OF CDWS IN STRENGTHENING COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATION

Commissions agreed that CDWs have a strong role to play in providing information and access about government services. They should assist people to access opportunities and should monitor the implementation of government policies and programmes. It was acknowledged that CDWs were well placed to support the work of councillors and ward committees since they are in touch with sectors and have skills and knowledge.

Commissions were united in their view that CDWs were there to deepen and enhance the work of government and are not in competition with any elected representative, ward committees or officials. CDWs have been part of an education and training programme that has equipped them with skills to interact with communities. In addition, CDWs have extensive information on government programmes and projects targeting the poor. These skills and information must be placed at the disposal of municipality, councillors, and ward committees in working with communities. Often councillors and ward committees receive requests from communities for assistance on issues that falls within the ambit of provincial and national government. CDWs are in the position to work with these councillors and ward committees in addressing these issues as they directly relate to government departments through their regional co-ordinators.

CDWs must be utilised in outreach work and networking with the different sectors and organisations within communities. Reaching out and networking are systematic tasks that require dedication and time. CDWs are well placed to assist ward committees where their work overlaps. They can fulfil these tasks with the support of their mentor from the municipality and in partnership with the relevant ward councillors and ward committees with whom they work.

Ward committees must be informed of the specific role and work programme of CDWs. CDWs need to attend ward committee meetings and must be included in the programme of action of each ward. The CDW should not become the secretary of the ward committee. CDWs have many responsibilities and should be a partner of ward committees.

SUPPORT NEEDED BY CDWS

Commission felt that more needed to be done in terms of coaching and mentoring CDWs. Whilst CDWs spend most of their time in communities and in the field, they must have access to offices with telephones and other equipment that will facilitate their work. In rural areas, transport support should also be considered so that CDWs can reach marginalised people like farm workers.

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3.6 CLOSING KEY NOTE ADDRESS Premier

The fantastic attendance at this conference shows that government is working with the people of the Western Cape. I have just returned from a National Cabinet Lekhotla – an exciting and fascinating meeting held over the last three days which clearly illustrated that the country is in good hands. I bring greetings from the President to you, the foot soldiers for peace and development.

The Lekhotla focussed on capacity and programmes of government. All provinces have been asked to organise similar event like this conferences and I could say that we have already done so.

An international Progressive Governance Conference will be held next week in Johannesburg – other progressive governments will come to learn from our experience, and what we have discussed here will be part of the contribution we make there.

In this country we have no problem with developing plans and strategies, for example Project Consolidate to support municipalities. We have no problems with making more resources available without increasing taxes. We have development needs that are great in areas like housing. But we will not meet the needs of the people if we increase budgets without increasing our capacity to deliver effectively.

CDWs and ward committees are the foot soldiers in the war against poverty. We are here to enter into a relationship, a partnership, to understand what the needs of our people are on the ground. We will work with civil society and NGOs and government must use their respective strengths to address problems without losing their identities

This conference is about creating a united force against poverty, racism and other evils. CDWs must be special glue between government and the people equally representing both the people and government. Ward Committees and CDWs are linkages between government and non-government in a war against poverty and under development.

Our battle is not only against material deprivation but also about changing people’s hearts. Our province and our people come from a history of divisions and fights based on religion, race and ethnicity. We should work together in one united force to end these divisions. We cannot fight against poverty only among some of the poor and should target all communities. The way we correct the past must also help to reconcile us for the future.

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