ILEMBE UMASIPALA WESIFUNDA

Deputy Mayor
Cllr. James van Wye

T The Deputy Mayor is required to fulfill his/her normal duties as a member of council under the Municipal Act, 2001, Section 224. The Deputy Mayor shall assist the Mayor in carrying out the Mayoral responsibilities under the Municipal Act, Section 225. 

The Deputy Mayor shall also serve as a member of county council and is required to attend all regular and special meetings of county council as well as any standing committees to which he/she may be appointed.

Deputy Mayors are provided for in section 48
of the Structures Act…

In the collective executive system, deputy mayors are appointed by council only if the MEC for local government in the province approves that a deputy mayor be appointed. The deputy mayor is a member of the executive committee of the municipal council and is elected when the executive committee is elected.

The deputy mayor exercises the powers and performs the duties of the mayor if the mayor is absent or not available or if the office of the mayor is vacant. The mayor may delegate duties to the deputy mayor.

Cllr. James van Wye
Deputy Mayor

Roles and Responsibilities of the Deputy Mayor

  • Interaction with the municipal manager
    The Deputy Mayor interacts directly with the municipal manager.

  • Interaction with staff members
    The Deputy Mayor interacts with staff members in consultation with the municipal manager.
  • Line of Authority
    The Deputy Mayor reports to the Council

  • Dispute resolution
    In the event of a dispute between the Deputy Mayor and the Speaker or the Municipal Manager, such dispute shall be referred to Council.

The Role of Traditional Leaders in Municipality

The Statutory functions of the Mayor as set out in sections 49 and 50 of the Structures Act are the following:

  1. Administer the affairs of the traditional community in accordance with customs and tradition;
  2. Assist, support and guide traditional leaders in the performance of their functions;
  3. Work together with municipalities in the identification of community needs;
  4. Facilitate the involvement of the traditional community in the development or amendment of the integrated development plan of a municipality in whose areas that community resides;
  5. Recommend, after consultation with the relevant Local House and the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, appropriate interventions to government that will contribute to development and service delivery within the area of jurisdiction of the traditional council;
  1. Participate in the development of policy and legislation at local level;
  2. Participate in the development programmes of municipalities and of the provincial and national spheres of government;
  3. Promote the ideals of co-operative governance, integrated development planning, sustainable development and service delivery;
  4. Promote indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable development and disaster management;
  5. Alert any relevant municipality to any hazard or calamity that threatens the area of jurisdiction of the traditional council in question, or the well-being of people living in such area of jurisdiction, and to contribute to disaster management in general;
  1. Share information and co-operate with other traditional councils;
  2. Perform the functions conferred by customary law, customs and statutory law consistent with the Constitution.
  3. To uphold the values of the traditional community;
  4. Reject and proscribe such practices as the sowing of divisions based on tribalism;
  5. Promote peace and stability amongst members of traditional communities; and
  6. Promote social cohesion within the traditional communityÂ