Question NW3880 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
17 November 2015 - NW3880
Mileham, Mr K to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1)Whether any investigation is currently underway and/or was conducted into the non-compliance of municipalities with the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Act, Act 29 of 2014, in the 2014-15 financial year; if not, why not; if so, which municipalities (a) are being and/or (b) have been investigated; (2) (a) what is the current status of each of the specified investigations and (b) when is it anticipated that the investigations will be completed; (3) what has he found are the causes for the municipalities’ non-compliance with the specified Act; (4) whether he is taking any steps to ensure the compliance of the municipalities with the specified Act; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. No. There is no investigation underway or conducted.
What we regard as important to make a positive change in terms of municipal compliance is instilling culture of compliance with the critical provisions of the Act. This will be an on-going rather than a once-off process. In this regard, the department wrote letters to the relevant municipalities outlining issues of non-compliance and how those matters should be addressed, and it would continue monitoring municipal progress towards resolution of those matters.
2. Not applicable.
3. From the monitoring and assessments conducted, some of the causes were lack of understanding that until certain Council adopted documents (i.e by-laws to give effect to rates policies and resolution levying rates) are published in the relevant Provincial Gazette as required by the law, there is no full compliance with the law.
4. Yes. As already indicated in (1) above, the department is continuing to monitor municipal compliance with the critical provisions of the Act and where required it would provide the necessary guidance. In this regard, in the 2015/16 financial year the department would follow-up with those municipalities that were identified as having been non-compliant, with a view to rectifying those matters with respect of the 2016/17 municipal budget preparation process.