• Right to adequate clean water, decent shelter
• Right to life
• A resident has the right to the protection of the law
• You have a right to effective and fair representation
• Remember, the person who pays for services is the boss. Your Councillor is your servant, who must take your issues seriously.
• A Right to information about your Council, including minutes of full council meetings and its services.
Duties of elected Councillors:
• To formulate policies, by-laws and regulations for the City in the interests of citizens
• To convey residents’ issues at council committees, full council and lobby for them to be translated into policy positions.
• The councillors, through the Mayor, monitor the implementation of council resolutions and
decisions by the City employees, through the Town Clerk.
• To provide citizens with regular feedback of council programmes and activities.
• Represent the interests of residents and ratepayers at all council business.
Your Responsibility as a Citizen:
• Pursue your rights and gather as much information as possible to help you lobby policy makers and service providers
• Pay affordable rates and rentals to the Council every month so that council is able to provide us with satisfactory services
• Expose corruption by elected representatives and service providers in your community through your residents’ leadership.
• Practice good hygiene, keep your surroundings clean.
• Take an active role in non-partisan community initiatives.
• Share information about services in your area.
• Know basic details about your Ward Councillor- address, phone numbers, and his/ her participation at council
• Report service delivery issues to your District Officer, Ward Councillor and or Residents’ Committee.
• Hold the Residents’ Committee accountable
• As a collective, provide solutions and alternatives to service delivery issues facing the Council
How to hold them accountable:
• Residents should mobilise, unite and find common ground
• Regularly convene community meetings to discuss the City council and its services.
• Elected representatives should respond to residents’ concerns without excuses.
• Make firm resolutions as citizens and follow them up with the City Council, service providers and your elected representatives.
• Document your community issues and present your views to your Ward Councillor, the
• Chairperson of a relevant Council Committee, the Mayor, and the HRT.
• If it is about corruption, state the date, the people involved and circumstances, and submit your report to your HRT Residents’ Committee in your suburb or call us on the given numbers, or report to the Mayor and Town Clerk.
Post published in: Politics