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The Speaker of Bitou of Municipality, Cllr Annelise Olivier hosted a very successful one-day Ward Committee Summit on Saturday 14 February 2014 with a 79% attendance of all invited.
Speaker Olivier pleaded that the functioning of Ward Committees and Public Participation should be stepped up this year as our communities are failing to receive the correct messages within an adequate timeframe, in order for them to make a well informed decision.

Various discussions were held on the day which included:

a) Formalising of a Ward Committee Forum which will be tabled at the Council meeting of 25 February 2015
b) Meeting Schedules for Ward Committees and Councillors’ report back meetings to communities
c) Ward Delimitation process presentation by Head of Department Corporate Services Mr Reginald Smit
d) Code of Conduct by Provincial Department: Public Participation Mr Mzimasi Tansanqa

Ms. Buyiswa Jack the Deputy Director of Department Local & Provincial Government made a presentation on the Back to Basic Approach.

Ward committees had to discuss the following topics in their wards:

• Assessment of the present public participation and ward committee policy and legislation.
• How best can government improve or enhance participatory democracy taking into account the upcoming Local Government Election in 2016.
• Collectively come up with new ideas on how the department can structure future municipal support programmes that can take participatory democracy to a higher level.
• Look at what mechanisms can be put in place, whereby, the gap and trust between citizens and local government as well as active citizenry can be improved.
• To strengthen public participation through effective communication.

The very fruitful discussions engaged into during the summit now paves the way for process underway, with the first Ward Committee Meeting due to take place on 17 February 2015.
The facilitator of this summit, Mr Brain Blaauw of African Development Group volunteered his time and abilities to Council for this engagement