Councillors hail performance agreements

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s announcement at the weekend that all ANC councillors are to be forced to sign performance agreements will lead to fewer protests, Nelson Mandela Bay councillors said.

This would force lazy councillors to pull up their socks and do their jobs, they said.

Launching the ANC’s election manifesto at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, Zuma said they had heard the complaints from the public that councillors should be more visible and accessible.

“We have thus ensured that our councillors hold report-back meetings with their communities and will continue to improve on this,” Zuma said.

“In cases where some ANC councillors did not perform well, we encouraged communities to hold them accountable and report their concerns.

“We have acted on these concerns by replacing some councillors and strengthening others.

“Going forward, we will require councillors to sign performance and accountability agreements.

“In rural communities, our councillors will work with traditional leaders . . . in development.

“We will also ensure that all communities participate in municipal programmes.”

Bay councillor Wandisile Jikeka said the call from the president was in line with what the ANC structures had been saying.

“Councillors’ offices have been closed with protests and now there is a way to measure if they are performing,” Jikeka said.

“Councillors will be able to show that they are holding meetings, so if the community complains that they’re not, they will be able to show them. It will help to improve service delivery and help others to jack themselves up to ensure they do improve delivery.”

Councillor David Madlavu said it was imperative that councillors hold meetings to account to the public.

Ward 36 councillor Nomonde Mhlobiso said accountability was very important.

Councillor Veliswa Ndidi believed performance agreements should be linked to the council rather than a party.

“It’s a good thing because some councillors tend not to care. In this way, there will be an agreement in place to hold them to account,” Ndidi said.