The provincial gazette recently announced that Makana Municipality will no longer have only 12 wards, there will now be an extra two wards which will include Rhodes University and Grahamstown's surrounding areas. The Municipal Demarcation Board has requested that Makana Municipality consults local stakeholders of the intention to start with the process of ward delimitation for this year's local elections.
Wards are areas within each municiaplity that are managed by a member of the community who is elected by the residents themselves.
In November 2009, Makana Municipality organised meetings for public participation, where ward committees, political organisations, government departments and non governmental organisations (NGOs) were invited to take part in this event in order to voice out their views on whether they agree with the fact that Grahamstown having an expansion of wards. This took place in BB Zondani Hall on 23 November 2009 and in Alicedale (Kwanonzakazi Hall), Riebeeck East (Alfred Dike Kota Hall) and Town Hall on 24 November 2009. According to the Structures Act in the Provincial Gazette of the Province of the Eastern Cape, any person with an objection may do so within 14 days after the publication of the wards in the Gazetted. This means that the Municipal Demarcation Boards is not allowed to extend these days.
In terms of the Structures Act, the MEC responsible for Local Government stated that the municipal council will no longer have 24 councillors. Spokesperson of Makana Municipality, Thandy Matebese explained that this means as from the date of the next local elections in 2011, the municipal council will consist of 28 councillors. After having consulted the Independent Electoral Commission, the Municipal Demarcation Board has expanded the municipality into 14 wards. Ward 13 has 2938 registered voters and ward 14 has 2934 registered voters, as published in the Municipal Structures Act on 31 August 2009.
According to the Spokesperson of Makana Municipality, Thandy Matebese, the municipality can not approve or reject this or any process due to the terms of the Structures Act which allows any aggrieved person to object within 14 days. He continued to say that the purpose of a ward generally is for registered voters in that ward to elect a person of their choice to represent them in the municipal council, but he would not explain what purpose the two extra wards will serve.The major concern with this kind of information is the fact that Rhodes University wants to become a ward on its own. How can you have a student who might not even reside in Grahamstown, be a ward councellor? These are the type of decisions made in order to take over Makana Municipality slowly, bearing in mind that Rhodes University invests a lot of money to the city and also creates jobs for people residing in Grahamstown. But, it is wrong to have a university become a ward on its own, the next thing we know, the Vice-Chancellor, Badat could be the next mayor.
