Demarcation board holds awareness campaign

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – The Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) visited the community of Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP) Local Municipality to educate ward councillors and traditional leaders on what the ward delimitation process entails.

The MDB, led by chairperson Thabo Manyoni visited the community of MAP on 11 October at the Phuthaditjhaba Multipurpose Hall, and Manyoni emphasized that consultations and education are key elements of ensuring that all stakeholders know about the ward delimitation process and the role each must play.

“The ward delimitation process involves dividing municipalities into smaller, manageable electoral wards. This is done to ensure fair and effective representation in local government, with each ward having a balanced number of voters.

The process considers factors such as community interests, geographic continuity, and population size to create boundaries that support fair representation.”

The process also ensures that traditional and local governance structures are respected during the formation of new wards.

According to council speaker Mandlenkosi Dlamini, the Municipal Demarcation Board’s ward delimitation education and awareness programme is vital and requires everyone’s participation.

“The ward delimitation processes affect us all and may lead us, as a municipality, into greater prosperity as we continue to expand as an aspiring rural metro. The involvement of all stakeholders helps in avoiding disputes between the government and traditional leaders. That is why, as the speaker, I invited all key role players to begin engagements on how wards should be set for the next local government elections in 2026,” Dlamini said.

The Speaker also encouraged unregistered voters to register to assist the government with its integrated development processes. He mentioned that in Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality, an increasing population remains unaccounted for, as many do not take part in elections.

Sitting down on the right council speaker councillor Mandlenkosi Dlamini, standing up chairperson of Municipal Demarcation Board Thabo Manyoni and Fezel Hoosen from MDB.

For his part, Morena Lerotholi Mopeli of the Bakoena royal household said, “No inputs have been made as yet, but we, as traditional leaders, appreciate being invited to this informative meeting right from the start.”

The workshop was attended by councillors, Community Development Workers (CDW), ward committees, traditional leaders, and officials responsible for demarcation matters in the municipality.

In the next phase of public consultation, community members throughout the municipality will be invited to make their submissions on the ward delimitation process.