With the effectiveness of councillors raised in the media recently, Monde Stemele – Weskus Distrik Councillor responsible for Strategic Support and Economic Development – discusses the impact made by councillors, and how residents can escalate incidents of non-performance.
Monde, how would you describe the contribution of councillors to Weskus Distrik’s success?
With the DA mayor ‘Boffie’ Strydom and the Speaker’s leadership in the council we have experienced a stable journey from 2021 to date. Further, all parties in council are afforded opportunity to freely make contributions and also, hold the executive to account.
Do the councillors exercise their role of holding leadership accountable?
Yes, they do and they command the respect of their administrative counterparts. They demand to play their role and despite the inevitable politics, the ruling party is kept on its toes.
Do councillors who have jobs other than their political function have time to fulfil their duties? This was a discussion point in the media.
I know of one of our councillors who has a job outside of his role at Weskus, and another who is a farmer. They attend all meetings and perform their functions satisfactorily. Weskus Distrik performs because all key players, including councillors, deliver to or beyond expectation.
What must a resident do if their councillor doesn’t deliver to their expectation?
They can approach the Speaker and register their complaint, or the Whip of the party that the councillor is a member of. The Speaker and Whip have considerable influence.
Alderman Monde Stemele
Strategic Support and Economic Development
Weskus Distrik.
