A ward is an area in a metro or local municipality, which has clearly defined boundaries. A ward committee is a democratically elected body which represents a wide variety of community interests and meets regularly under the chairperson, who is the ward councillor.

A municipality has the power to decide to have ward committees, and if it does so, it has to establish ward committees for all the wards in its jurisdiction. Ward committee members may also be elected on a geographical basis. Ward committees form a valuable link between the municipality and the community.

The White Paper of Local Government, 1998 states that the main mechanism for public participation in local government is through ward committees. It follows that ward committees are a direct vehicle for matters of local communities to reach the decision-makers within municipal councils.

Basis in law

Section 157(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 prescribes that a municipality can establish a ward committee.

Section 72(3) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 of 2008 states that the objective of ward committees is to enhance participatory democracy in local government. Sections 72-78 of the Act are devoted to the matter of ward committees.  The functions and powers of these committees, as pronounced in s 74, include to make recommendations on any matter affecting its ward to the ward councillor or through the councillor to the local council or executive mayor, for example. A ward committee further has such duties and powers that a metropolitan or local council may have delegated to it in terms of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000.

Environmental application

Ward committees may potentially serve a very important role in local environmental governance. They are well-positioned to channel environmental concerns and needs of local communities (ward members) to council and the administration of the municipality. At the same time, it is possible for a municipal council to delegate environmental functions or responsibilities to ward committees. These may typically include functions related to environmental awareness-raising or community-level monitoring of water leaks or illegal dumping of domestic waste.