Capacity-building of ward committee members for community engagement in Johannesburg’s Ward 68

This study investigated the capacity-building initiatives amongst ward committees in Ward 68. The focus of the investigation was to identify ways to enhance the skills and knowledge that Ward Committee members needed to foster positive relationships with the communities. The researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews. The researchers collected primary data by conducting in-depth interviews with ten members of the Ward Committee, who provided valuable insights into their experiences. Secondary data were collected by analyzing published journals, government reports, and City of Johannesburg reports. The key findings of the study were as follows: the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) only conducted induction training for the Ward Committees; some Ward Committees could not attend the induction training due to different reasons; others attended, but they could not recall the content of the training; and several other challenges hindered the effectiveness of Ward Committees.