In December 2020 MDB handed over the final wards to the IEC following a lengthy public consultation process.

MDB delimit wards solely to create spaces for electoral purposes. This provision is made in line with the Municipal Structures (Act 117 0f 1998, schedule 1).

In executing this task, the Board must take the criteria for ward delimitation into account, publish the wards in the provincial gazettes, invite any person aggrieved by the wards within 14 days from the date of publication to submit objections in writing, then the Board must consider the objections, confirm ,vary or withdraw its determination.

Although public participation prior to the objection period is not mandatory in the Act, as a responsible public entity, the MDB opted to consult stakeholders to educate and allow them to actively participate in the processes by making proposals on how their wards should be configured. This approach to prioritise public consultation is a clear indication of MDBs commitment to drive local democracy and ensure that wards are a reflection of what the local people and stakeholders expect.

WHAT THE #KNOWYOURWARDS APP CAN DO FOR YOU:

The MDB has developed an App to help stakeholders know and understand the new wards easily. Users can:

  • Drop a location pin to find out which ward you are situated in real-time.
  • Find a place or an address to know in which ward it is situated.
  • Choose a background option of street maps, satellite images, terrains, etc.
  • Download the APP and make an electronic print of the map and view in any common format (e.g. jpg, png, pdf)
  • Share the App via email, Twitter, Facebook or Google+

      Download the App now: https://arcg.is/aCWji

The MDB’s work is challenging, as varying views emerge in every process it undertakes. As such, the entity is not oblivious to dissatisfaction expressed by some communities. To this end, the MDB encourages everyone dissatisfied by the outcomes of the ward delimitation process to contact them directly. The MDB is committed to ensure that it engages with everyone in order to explain what informed the final determination of wards. It should be highlighted that despite the negative feedback, there are positive sentiments received from communities that are satisfied with the outcome of the final wards.

The MDB remains committed to promote spatial transformation and work with stakeholders to improve its processes in future.