Question NW2126 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
12 October 2020 - NW2126
Brink, Mr C to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Whether her department is currently developing a (a) Green Paper and/or (b) White Paper on local government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what (i) are the objectives, (ii) is the nature and (iii) is the extent of the policy review being contemplated?
Reply:
The Department of Cooperative Governance is currently not developing
a) A Green Paper and/or a
b) A White Paper on local government.
The Department is implementing the District Development Model (DDM) as approved by Cabinet on 21 August 2019. The DDM is designed to improve collaborative planning amongst the three spheres of government, and the establishment of a One District,One Plan and One Budget for each of the 44 districts and 8 metros.The Department is reviewing several of its legislations and is developing regulations and frameworks to strengthen these legislations. These include but are not limited to:
- Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill, 2019. The objectives of the Amendment Bill are to inter alia:
- Assist municipalities to build the skills base necessary to exercise their powers and perform their functions by appointing suitably qualified people and competent senior managers; and
- To professionalise local public administrations.
- Local Government Demarcation Bill, 2020 to provide for, amongst other, criteria and procedures for the determination and redetermination of municipal and ward boundaries, as well as the establishment of an Appeals Authority.
- An amendment of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, 117 of 1998, to amongst other issues:
- Provide for a minimum of 10 councillors per municipality;
- Provide for the prohibition of a councillor who was found guilty of a breach of the code of conduct for councillors for a period of two years;
- Provide for additional functions of the speaker;
- Provide for a whip of municipal council;
- Clarify the formula for the composition of an executive committee; and
- Provide for a Code of Conduct for Councillors.
- A review of Sections 84 and 85 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 117 of 1998 and the development of regulations to guide the ministerial authorization and revocation of powers and functions in terms of section 84(3) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures act, 117 of 1998.
End.