What is the City Council?
The City Council is the legislative body responsible for governing Cape Town. It makes and implements by-laws (local laws specially created for Cape Town) the Integrated Development Plan, tariffs for rates/services, the City’s Budget and enters into service level agreements. Besides this, the Council also debates local government issues and ratifies or rejects proposals, disposes of capital assets, appoints the Executive Mayor, the Executive Deputy Mayor and the City Manager.
Decisions taken by the City Council are implemented by the City’s executive management team. By-laws and policies are formulated and monitored by Council's portfolio committees (otherwise known as ‘section 79’ committees). These meet regularly to discuss issues within their area of concern. One such example is the Spatial Planning, Environment & Land Use Management Committee (SPELUM), which oversees building regulations, environmental conservation and heritage issues, amongst others.
Our Barbarossa Residents Association is a Community Based Organisation (CBO) which is one of many voluntary associations representing common interests. They are important for communication and consultation purposes. Each ward may have a ward committee of up to 10 persons. This should reflect the ward’s registered community based organisations in the relevant sectors and include ratepayers’ and civic organisations, faith-based organisations, safety and security groups, environmental groups, early education, youth organisations, arts and culture, sport, the business community and designated vulnerable groups such as the aged, gender and the disabled. The ward councillor is the chairperson of the ward committee. All committee members must regularly consult their sectors and advise the ward councillor on needs and priorities, including the budget, and make recommendations to the subcouncil or other committees of Council. Although ward committees have no powers, they are the most direct link between a community and the structures of Council. They must meet at least quarterly and members receive a reimbursive stipend to carry out their duties.
