Mayoral Committee (Section 80)

The Executive Mayor is assisted by a Mayoral Committee made up of 9 councillors. The Mayoral Committee is responsible for individual portfolios such as community development, housing or finance, and reports directly to the mayor, The Executive Mayor is also assisted by the Supporting staff in his office.

Section 80 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 empowers a municipal council to appoint committees of councillors to assist an executive committee or an executive mayor. Commonly known as portfolio committees, these structures help manage the day-to-day governance and oversight of specific municipal departments or functions. Key provisions of Section 80 include:

• Establishment and Composition: A municipal council establishes these committees, but their total number of members must not exceed the number of members on the mayoral or executive committee.
• Chairperson Appointment: The executive mayor or executive committee appoints a chairperson for each committee from within the mayoral or executive committee.
• Delegation of Powers: The executive may delegate specific powers and duties to these committees, though the executive retains ultimate accountability and may vary, revoke, or alter any decision made by a Section 80 committee.
• Reporting Lines: These committees are strictly executive-assisting bodies and report directly to the executive committee or executive mayor in accordance with their directions.

This setup should not be confused with Section 79 committees, which are appointed by the broader council to play an independent, legislative oversight role.