The terms of office of ward committees are aligned to that of municipal councils and the municipality must, as soon as possible after the results of the elections have been declared, arrange ward meetings in order for the interest groups in the ward to be identified and subsequently for the ward committees to be elected, according to the system applicable in each respective municipality.

Nominations shall be open for 10 but not exceeding 15 nominees.

Closure of nominations may be proposed when there are 10 nominations. Should nominations exceed 10, then voting shall take place. The ward councillor and Community Participation and Action Support Unit must ensure that meetings are a fair representation of all recognised sectors identified by the municipality and a quorum of at least 100 qualifying community members are present to vote. An attendance register must also be completed.

A ward committee may make recommendations on any matter affecting its ward to the ward councillor, or through the ward councillor to the municipal council, the executive committee and/or support committee.

The ward committee will be regarded as the statutory structure recognised by the municipal council as its consultative body and communication channel on matters affecting the ward, including, but not limited to:

• Acting as an advisory body created within the sphere of civil society to assist the ward councillor in carrying out his or her mandate, in the most democratic manner possible.
• Representing the community on the compilation and implementation of the Integrated Development Plan;
• Ensuring constructive and harmonious interaction between the municipality and the community;
• Attending to all matters that affect and benefit the community;
• Acting in the best interest of the community, and
• Ensuring active participation of the community in the municipality’s budgetary process.
• Ward Committees are meant to be an institutionalised channel of communication and interaction between communities and municipalities.