Municipal polls to increase size of the City’s legislature

29 January 2016

 

The forthcoming and much-awaited local government elections will bring about important change in the City of Johannesburg’s legislature.

 

The number of elected councillors in Johannesburg will increase by 10 – from the current 260 to 270. This follows a 2015 decision by the Municipal Demarcation Board to increase the number of wards in Johannesburg by five to reflect its growing population. The move will bring the number of directly elected ward councillors to 135. The other 135 councillors will take their seats in the legislature via the proportional representation system.

Although the date for the elections has not yet been announced, they are widely expected to take place in the second quarter of the year.
The last municipal elections were held on 18 May 2011. As in previous elections, the polls will be monitored by a strong contingent of local and international observers.
Johannesburg residents are encouraged to log on to the Independent Electoral Commission’s website (www.elections.org.za) or phone its helpline (0800 11 8000) to see if they are registered to vote.

This is important, especially for residents who have turned 18 since the 2014 national elections or for those who have recently moved to the city.
The elections will also have an impact on the City’s calendar. Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau will deliver his fifth annual State of the City Address (SOCA) ahead of the vote.

Another SOCA will be delivered shortly after the polls, during which the newly elected mayor and executive will set out their priorities for the new five-year term.
The annual Budget Speech will also be delivered after the elections. In 2015, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo presented a record R52.6-billion budget to the council.