So Kabelo Gwamanda resigns as the Mayor of Johannesburg after fifteen months in the job. Gwamanda was the ninth mayor of the City of Johannesburg since the 2016 local government election—and the fifth since 2021. So what exactly did he do, apart from blaming other people for non-performance – oh sorry he is a politician. Or more specifically, what should a mayor be doing?
In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 1998
[55.(1)] If a municipal council chooses to have an executive mayor it must elect an executive mayor and. if the MEC for local government in the province so approves, also an executive deputy mayor. from among its members at a meeting that must be held within 14 days of the councils election.
[56.(1)] An executive mayor is entitled to receive reports from committees of the municipal council and to forward these reports together with a recommendation to the council when the matter cannot be disposed of by the executive mayor in terms of the executive mayors delegated powers.
(2) The executive mayor must—
- identify the needs of the municipality:
- review and evaluate those needs in order of prioritise
- recommend to the municipal council strategies, programmed and services to address priority needs through the integrated development plan, and the estimates of revenue and expenditure. taking into account any applicable national and provincial development plans: and
- recommend or determine the best way. including partnership and other approaches. to deliver those strategies: programmes and services to the maximum benefit of the community.
(3) The executive mayor in performing the duties of office, must—
- identify and develop criteria in terms of which progress in the implementation of the strategies. programmes and services referred to in subsection (2)(c) can be evaluated. including key performance indicators which are specific to the municipality and common to local government in general:
- evaluate progress against the key performance indicators;
- review the performance of the municipality in order to improve—
- the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the municipality;
- the efficiency of credit control and revenue and debt collection services: and
- the implementation of the municipality’s by-laws:
- monitor the management of the municipality’s administration in accordance with the directions of the municipal council:
- oversee the provision of services to communities in the municipality in a sustainable manner;
- perform such duties and exercise such powers as the council may delegate to the executive mayor in terms of section 32;
- annually report on the involvement of communities and community organisations in the affairs of the municipality: and
- ensure that regard is given to public views and report on the effect of consultation on the decisions of the council.
[60.(1)] If a municipal council has more than nine members, its executive mayor must appoint a mayoral committee from among the councillors to assist the executive mayor:
Not sure about you but we do not think that he did a good job, especially regarding implementation of municipal by-laws.
In case you missed it Gwamanda resigned to the Speaker. What is the Speaker? [36.(1) Each municipal council must have a chairperson who will be called the speaker. So the speaker can be seen like the chairperson of a company.
The speaker of a municipal council—
- presides at meetings ‘of the council:
- performs the duties and exercises the powers delegated to the speaker in terms of section 32:
- must ensure that the council meets at least quarterly:
- must maintain order during meetings:
- must ensure compliance in the council and council committees with the Code of Conduct set out in Schedule 5: and
- must ensure that council meetings are conducted in accordance with the rules and orders of the council.
