By Tabisa Mntengwana
07 December 2009

THE City is set to finalise its direction following the choices of its people regarding the ward delimitation process, which took place last month.

Throughout November, the municipality visited all its wards to raise awareness of the plans by the Municipal Demarcation Board to divide Buffalo City’s wards in preparation for gaining metropolitan status in 2011.

In the second phase of consultation, meetings with its people will help the municipality find a way forward in clustering wards “with the feedback received from the residents”, reads a municipal report.

After this second phase, a report will be compiled and submitted to the Municipal Demarcation Board. It will examine the proposals and advise the municipality of the next steps it needs to take.

According to the report, the municipality will communicate each step with the broader community of Buffalo City. Three phase two cluster meetings will be held:

• On Monday, 7 December at 10am at the Town Hall in King William’s Town;
• On Monday, 7 December at 2pm at the Indoor Sports Centre in Mdantsane; and
• On Wednesday, 9 December at 10am at the Orient Theatre in Quigney, in East London.

In line with the board’s requirements, the number of wards in Buffalo City will be increased from 45 to 50 as it becomes a metro.

According to a press release issued by the City during the first phase of the ward delimitation process, its wards will be clustered in an equal manner that will encourage easy consultations between councillors, officials and residents.

Preparations to become a metro kicked off in October with a workshop at which councillors were taught about the importance of consulting with their communities to make them aware of the ward delimitation process.

The councillors learned about various aspects of ward delimitation, such as the proper channels for dividing wards, demarcation of areas and the importance of gaining metro status.

A metropolitan city has a common property rating and service tariff and a single metropolitan budget. The municipality may also decentralise powers and its functions when it becomes a metro.

In metropolitan areas there is also a choice of two types of executive systems: in one, the executive authority is given to the mayor; and in the other, collective executive powers are given to the executive committee.