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Ward Committees and Public Participation in Local Government

Public participation is often reduced to a hall booking and an attendance register. Ward committees, established under the Municipal Structures Act, are meant to carry community concerns into the council agenda. Committee establishment, meeting discipline, complaint tracking, and public meetings where trust has already broken down.

What you will be able to do

  • Establish and constitute ward committees in line with the Municipal Structures Act.
  • Plan participation processes for the integrated development plan, the budget and tariff decisions.
  • Record community issues and track them through to a departmental response.
  • Report back to residents on progress, delays and decisions taken by council.
  • Chair difficult public meetings, including those following service delivery protests.
  • Evaluate whether participation is influencing council decisions or merely documenting them.

Course outline

  1. 01Legal basis for ward committees
  2. 02Establishment, election and constitution
  3. 03Meeting practice and record keeping
  4. 04Issue logging and departmental referral
  5. 05Participation in planning and budget processes
  6. 06Feedback, reporting back and managing conflict

Who should attend

Ward councillors, ward committee members, public participation and community liaison officers, offices of the speaker, and communications staff in municipalities.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendar
17 to 18 Aug 2026Lusaka2US$1,100
24 to 25 Aug 2026Kigali2US$1,100
31 Aug to 1 Sep 2026Nairobi2US$1,100
7 to 8 Sep 2026Durban2R10,000
14 to 15 Sep 2026Johannesburg2R10,000
28 to 29 Sep 2026Mauritius2US$1,100
5 to 6 Oct 2026Dubai2US$1,100
12 to 13 Oct 2026Lagos2US$1,100
19 to 20 Oct 2026Harare2US$1,100
26 to 27 Oct 2026Kampala2US$1,100
2 to 3 Nov 2026Dar es Salaam2US$1,100
9 to 10 Nov 2026Pretoria2R10,000
16 to 17 Nov 2026Cape Town2R10,000
30 Nov to 1 Dec 2026Online2US$900
7 to 8 Dec 2026Mozambique2US$1,100
14 to 15 Dec 2026Cairo2US$1,100
21 to 22 Dec 2026Accra2US$1,100

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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