Do ward councillors in South Africa truly represent their communities?

Peter Martin, Steenberg

Though the constitution mandates public participation, South Africa is predominantly a representative democracy. In a representative democracy, voters elect political parties and political representatives to parliament to represent their interests and serve their needs.

Similarly, at local government (municipalities), voters elect political parties, who appoint proportional representatives (PR) councillors, and ward councillors to the municipal council to represent and serve them. Ward councillors are directly elected by the ward community, and therefore should represent the interests of the ward community, and not the political party.

To represent simply means to “make present” the views, opinions, desires, and wishes of the represented (the community). The representative (ward councillor) should consult the community, receive their mandate, speak and act on their behalf, and be accountable to them.

However, the City of Cape Town Budget 2025/ 2026 process demonstrates otherwise. Ward councillors neither informed nor consulted communities on the proposed new fixed tariffs and increased service charges. Communities were only informed after the CoCT draft budget 2025/2026 was tabled in Council on March 27.

At this point, councillors have already decided, without community consultation and participation, to impose new fixed tariffs and increased service charges on communities. Despite opposition and outcries from communities, the decision was not rescinded.

On June 26, the new fixed tariffs and increased service charges were approved by council. Council comprises 231 councillors of which 116 are ward councillors and 115 PR councillors. Ward councillors constitute the majority, which means they alone could have defeated the motion. Not a single governing DA Party ward councillor (107) supported their ward communities and voted against it.

This raises the burning question: Do ward councillors represent the interests of ward communities?

• Mersini Iakovidis, from the office of the City's speaker, Felicity Purchase, sent Southern Mail a PDF document outlining the responsibilities of ward councillors which could not be published with this letter.

She added: "Further note that all subcouncil chairpersons held public meetings where the budget was discussed and presented to the public."