27 Jun 2019

Central District Council (CDC) attorney, Ms Tebogo Phetogo, says councillors’ primary role is to represent their wards.

When presenting a paper on councillors’ ethics and conduct, as well as their entitlements, before the on-going council session in Serowe on June 25, Ms Phetogo said councillors provided a bridge between the community and the council.

“All councils are led by democratically elected councillors who set the vision and direction, and represent their local communities’’, she said.

She said councillors must live and work in the area, adding that being an effective councillor required both commitment and hard work.

Councillors were told that they had to balance the needs and interests of residents, the political parties they represented and the council.

‘’The councillor’s role centres around community leadership and engagement, responsibilities include, representing the ward for which they are elected, decision-making, scrutinising decisions taken by the councillors and cabinet’’, she said.

Ms Phetogo stated that the Local Government Act 2001 sets out an ethical framework for councillors, which imposes a statutory duty on every local authority member and employee to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest.

She said the Act sets out a code of conduct which includes specific rules about the declaration and disclosure of interests by councillors.

‘’As a councillor you need to be aware of the importance of observing your local government’s meeting procedures’’ she added.

Ms Phetogo explained that the decisions made in local government meetings are important and must be made in accordance with the correct meeting procedures that are adopted by their local government.

She stated that all councillors must observe the principles of sections of the Local Government Act at all times.

She noted that local government meetings are conducted in a formal manner but the level of formality may vary, depending on the size and traditions of the local government.

Despite variations in debate and meeting procedures, all local government decisions must be made by resolution, recorded in the minutes and implemented in the same way, she said.

She mentioned that senior officials of each local government will have information for them and other new councillors on how they local government’s meetings are conducted and how to behave in the chamber.

She however indicated that a councillor means an elected or nominated member of council, adding that all members of council shall before taking their seats in the council, take an oath of allegiance as set out.

In their response, most councillors decried housing and mileage allowances, indicating that CDC was the biggest council in the country, therefore it needed a special dispensation.

They further said they had long requested government to introduce ward council offices. ENDS