Powers and Functions

The Constitution and Municipal Structures Act requires that every Council elects a Chairperson, who is called the Speaker. The aim of the Office of the Speaker is to structure the two functions of a Municipal Council, i.e. its legislative function and its executive function. The Speaker presides at meetings of the Council and performs the duties and exercises the powers delegated to the Speaker. These duties include:

• Ensuring that Council meets at least quarterly;
• Maintaining order during meetings; must ensure;
• Ensuring compliance in the Council and Council committees with the Code of Conduct of Councillors; and
• Ensuring that Council meetings are conducted in accordance with the rules and orders of the Council.

Section 59 of the Municipal Systems Act defines the roles and power of the Speaker.

Delegated roles are carried out through the three departments in the Office of the Speaker:

• Community participation department
• Councillor affairs department
• Council and committees department

The Speaker’s office needs to ensure that they drive consultative processes in all 32 wards of 179 villages within Mogalakwena Local Municipality. It may be of any engagement as long as it engages the community’s.

Legislation, requires all Ward Councillors to hold at least one public meeting per ward per quarter but the Office of the Speaker’s through its Public Participation Processes encourages Councillors to hold monthly meetings not to lose touch and address all community challenges, as they are the ears and eyes of the Municipality at local level.