Klerksdorp – In a Category B Municipality in South Africa, oversight visits are mainly the responsibility of the Speaker and the municipal council’s oversight structures, not the Executive Mayor.
Here’s why:
Executive Mayor → Part of the executive arm of the municipality. Their role is to implement council decisions, manage municipal administration through the Municipal Manager, and drive service delivery. They are the doer, not the watchdog.
Speaker of Council → Head of the legislative arm of the municipality. The Speaker ensures that council performs its oversight role over the executive and administration. This includes:
Leading or coordinating Oversight Committees (e.g., Municipal Public Accounts Committee – MPAC)
Ensuring councillors conduct site visits to verify progress on projects and service delivery.
Facilitating community engagement and accountability.
Legal basis:
Municipal Structures Act, 1998 – Section 36(2) gives the Speaker responsibility for ensuring the council and its committees perform their oversight role effectively.
MFMA (Municipal Finance Management Act), 2003 – Strengthens MPAC and oversight responsibilities.
Summary:
Oversight visits are led by the Speaker (and relevant oversight committees), not the Executive Mayor, because the mayor is the one being oversighted.