Community participation department

The Student Council is a project of the Speaker's office.

AS chairperson of the council’s public participation and petitions committees, the Speaker must ensure that the public participates in City matters wherever possible, and must provide support to councillors. The council has set up public participation programmes, including the development of the ward committee system.

Ward committees
Johannesburg has 109 wards, and the Office of the Speaker manages all support functions relating to ward councillors and ward committees.

These include:

• Establishing ward committees
• Regulating ward committees
• Setting ward committee policies
• Evaluating ward committees
• Ensuring ward committee report backs
• Providing regional ward committee support

The office is also responsible for co-ordinating the Integrated Development Plan and Budget Community Outreach Programme, ensuring that there has been resident input into the formulation of these documents.

It ensures public participation in the formulation of Johannesburg’s Growth and Development Strategy, a document that charts Johannesburg’s course into the future.

Its duties include the promotion of civic education programmes and the establishment of a Children and Youth Council.