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More than 90 ward committee members and officials from Bitou Municipality attended the Ward Committee Summit which was held on 05 -06 September 2013. One of the main objectives of this two day interactive engagement was to educate ward committee members and CDW’s about the legislation that governs local government, but more effectively the use of ward committee systems as one of the tools that will bridge the information gap between communities and the council.

This highly interactive engagement was well received by participants; Head of Departments from the Municipality did presentations from their respective areas of duty. The Municipal Manager, Mr Allan Paulse said that “It is important that we understand the work of ward Committees within our communities, they are the enhancers of the municipality’s service delivery capacity”.

The Bitou Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen in his keynote address, emphasized the fact that, ward committees are in existence because they were nominated by their communities to represent them from their different community sectors not by any other reasons or political affiliation. He further pleaded with the ward committees to bear in mind that they resort under a Ward Councillor, whom in all instances will be their first line of direct communication with the Municipality.

One of the lessons that were taken with by ward committees was that, they should bridge the gap between the Municipality and communities, and inform and communicate municipal services (cost if any) and council decisions to their respective communities in conjunction with their ward councillors. They should not become the servants of any political party.