The municipal manager is the head of the municipal administration. Subject to the policy directions of the municipal council, the municipal manager is responsible and accountable for the formation and development of an economical, effective, efficient and accountable administration. The municipal manager must make sure the administration is equipped to implement the municipality’s integrated development plan, that it operates in accordance with the municipality’s performance management system, and that it is responsive to the needs of the local community. The roles and responsibilities of the Municipal Manager are comprehensively set out in Section 55 of the Municipal Systems Act and responsibilities of the Municipal Manager as Accounting Officer is set out in Chapter 8 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 56 of 2003.
The Municipal Manager’s office has assumed direct responsibility for Communications and Corporate Strategy as well as the drafting, management and implementation of Council’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The Internal Audit Services is outsourced to Umnotho. The Municipality anticipates to have fully functional in-house Internal Audit Unit in the 2016/17 financial year.
In addition, there are four Business Units that mirror the committee portfolios also report to the Municipal Manager. They are:
Financial Services
Corporate Services
Community Development Services
Infrastructure, Planning & Development
Each of these Business Units is headed by an Executive Manager, who must ensure that services are effectively and efficiently delivered to the people of the Greater Kokstad Municipality.
The municipal manager and his team of executive managers hold weekly meetings to discuss key strategic service deliverables, and to offer guidance on achieving IDP goals. The administrative component is aligned with the six (6) National Key Performance Areas; Financial Viability and management, Local economic Development, Basic service delivery and Infrastructure development, Good Governance and Public Participation, Institutional Development and Transformation, Cross Cutting issues (Environmental Planning and Social Services) and the Five Back-to-Basis Principles
The second layer of committees is the EXCO which reports in terms of section 44 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 to the municipal council on decisions made in terms of its delegated powers as well as recommendations made on those issues the municipal council did not delegate to the EXCO.
EXCO consists of 3 members, namely, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and 1 (one) other member. The Mayor is the Chairperson of the meeting, whilst the Deputy Mayor automatically becomes the Deputy Chairperson.
The first layer of committees is the Municipal Standing Committee on Public Accounts (MPAC) which consists of ordinary Councillors to oversee the expenditure of public funds in order to ensure the efficient and effective utilization of council resources and to enhance the political accountability of Council.
Councillors are elected by the local registered voters to serve a predetermined term of office on the local council as representatives of their respective constituents. The Greater Kokstad Municipal Council has a total of 16 seats. 8 of these seats are allocated to ward councillors who are elected by the wards they represent. The other 8 seats are allocated to political parties in proportion to the number of votes cast for them