Media Release: Committees established for the new term of Garden Route District Municipality Council

For Immediate Release
10 December 2021

During a Special Council meeting on 10 December 2021, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen, and the GRDM Council, appointed various chairpersons and members into section 79 and 80 committees.  According to section 79 of the Municipal Structures Act, ‘a municipal council may establish one or more committees necessary for the effective and efficient performance of any of its functions or the exercise of any of its powers.

GRDM Council Secretary, Advocate Sinekaya Maqekeni said: “a section 80 committees are designed to assist the Executive Mayor and are chaired by a member of the Mayoral Committee. They thus report to the Mayoral Committee, not to the Council”.

“Section 79 committees, on the other hand, report directly to the Council. They scrutinise reports referred to them by Council emanating from the Executive. These committees advise the Executive Mayor, Mayoral Committee and Council. Lastly, they provide an oversight role on the performance of the Executive on behalf of Council and play a legislative advisory role,” said Maqekeni.

Section 80 committees include Roads and Transport Planning Services; Financial Services; Planning and Economic Development; Community Services; Property and Asset Management; Corporate Services; and Strategic Services. According to Maqekeni, section 80 committees “deal with the implementation of policy and the performance of the municipal administration”.

Chairpersons of the section 80 committees are as follows:

• Ald. Petru Terblanche (Roads and Transport Planning Services);
• Cllr Anco Barker (Financial Services);
• Ald. Rosina Ruiters (Planning and Economic Development);
• Cllr Nompumelelo Ndayi (Community Services);
• Cllr Jobieth Hoogbaard (Property and Asset Management);
• Ald. Iona Kritzinger (Corporate Services); and
• Cllr Jerome Lambaatheen (Strategic Services).

Section 79 committees include a Budget Steering; Governance; Municipal Public Accounts; Training and Development; Occupational Health and Safety Committee; and Local Labour Forum.

Chairpersons for these respective section 79 committees include:

• Cllr Anco Barker (Budget Steering);
• Ald. Georlene Wolmarans (Governance);
• Cllr Clodia Lichaba (Municipal Public Accounts Committee);
• Ald. Stephen de Vries (Training and Development); and
• Ald. Virgill Gericke (Occupational Health and Safety).

GRDM sees oversight committees as one of the characteristics and formal structures that promote good governance because it advocates the municipality’s accountability of the Executive.

ENDS