Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
- Whether all the councillors in the province have the tools of trade, including office space, at their disposal; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether he can furnish us with a list of those tools of trade for the councillors at all the municipalities; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
In terms of Item 15(1) of the Determination of Upper Limits of Salaries, Allowances and Benefits of Different Members of Municipal Councils, published as GN 1426 in GG 42134 dated 21 December 2018 (the Upper Limits Notice), a municipal council may extend the tools of trade as enlisted therein to councillors as specified in the Item. Municipalities in the Province provide the tools of trade that may be required by councillors to enable them to discharge their duties in an efficient and effective manner. With regard to office space, in terms of Item 15(1)(b) of the Upper Limits Notice and as per Council discretion such a tool of trade is applicable to full-time councillors, part-time executive mayors or mayor, part-time deputy executive mayors or deputy mayors, part-time speakers, part-time members of mayoral committee or members of executive committee and part-time chairpersons of section 79 committees. Further details in relation hereto will be provided after the lockdown, as Municipalities current core focus is on the provision of essential services to the communities during the lockdown.
Councillors have the required tools of trade, including a laptop or tablet in addition to the availability of cell phone and mobile data allowances in order for them to perform their functions. As to a detailed list of the tools of trade made available by Municipalities to their Councillors, such detail will be provided after the lockdown in light of Municipalities current resources and focus being centered on the provision of essential services during the lockdown and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
