The members of the Mayoral committee are appointed by the Executive Mayor from among the members of the council. The Executive Deputy Mayor is elected by the Municipal Council and is an ex officio member of the Mayoral committee. The power to dismiss a member of the Mayoral committee also vests in the Executive Mayor.

The Mayoral committee consists of the Executive Mayor, and eight (8) members.

THE ROLE

The role of the Mayoral Committee is to assist the Executive Mayor.

THE AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY

The area of responsibility of the Mayoral Committee mirrors that of the Executive Mayor. 

POWERS AND FUNCTIONS

The Mayoral committee does not fall within the meaning of the definition of a political structure and the Municipal Council may therefore not delegate any powers or duties to it in terms of section 59 of the Systems Act.

The Mayoral Committee is also not a committee of the council and this means that its composition need not reflect the party political representation in council; (see DA v Amos Masondo 2002 JOL 10476 (CC).

According to the Constitutional Court it is the Mayoral committee‘s primary task to assist the Executive Mayor in the exercise of his/her powers; it is in essence an extension of the Office of the Executive Mayor.

The Mayoral Committee has no power on its own; it is an instrument to assist the Executive Mayor, to offer him/her advice and to take decisions together with the Executive Mayor with regard to designated powers. Decisions are nevertheless that of the Executive Mayor.

Individual members of the Mayoral committee may however be granted delegated powers. The Executive Mayor may:

• Delegate specific responsibilities to each member of the committee;

• Delegate any of the Executive Mayor’s powers to the respective members.