Comments on Cross-Boundary Municipalities Laws Repeal and Related Matters Bill, 2007

NO.	STAKEHOLDER/NAME	COMMENTS / INPUT	RESPONSE / POSITION
1.	Matatiele Local Municipal Council e.mail:[email protected] Tel: 039 7373131/2/5/6 Receive 19 June 2007	· The Council took a decision that the Matatiele Local Municipality and all its wards and villages remain placed in the Eastern Cape Province. Attached is 33 pages name list of individuals with their signatures to support the idea of Matatiele remaining in the Eastern Cape Province.	· Noted.
2.	Matatiele / Maluti Mass-action Committee representing the following organisation: - Poverty Alleviation Network - Cedarville & District Farmers Association - Matatiele Chamber of Commerce - Governing Body King Edward High School - George Moshesh Tribal Authority - Maluti Chamber of Business - Matatiele and Maluti Council of Churches - Moharane Community Based Organisation - Zizaneke Pre-school Training Project · Tel: 033 3920500 · Fax: 033 3920566 · E.mail:[email protected] · Received 18 June 2007	· The Matatiele / Maluti Mass-action Committee (“the Committee”) opposes the removal of Matatiele Local Municipality to the Eastern Cape Province and supports it inclusion into the KwaZulu-Natal Province. · A substantial majority of the people of Matatiele and Maluti support the decision of the committee to be part of KwaZulu Natal Province. · The Committee intend demanding its right to public involvement in terms of section 118(1)(a) of the Constitution from KwaZulu-Natal legislature and requires as an absolute minimum. · According to the Committee, the community has a good reason to be part of the KwaZulu-Natal Province because government never had a good or convincing reason for the removal of Matatiele to the Eastern Cape Province. Therefore government should prove that there are convincing reasons to move Matatiele to the Eastern Cape Province. · The Committee further indicates that the Constitutional Court affirmed that, the citizen of Matatiele have constitutional rights to have a preference of where they want to live. · The Committee also indicates that, government, including the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces did not act in an accountable, responsive, open or transparent manner. Nor did they afford the people of Matatiele the basic rights of dignity and self respect, as the NA and NCOP did not in a material sense enlighten themselves as to the merits of the removal of Matatiele from KwaZulu-Natal. · The Committee submit also that, the Independent Municipal Demarcation Board‘s decision took into account the demarcation objectives and relevant factors in terms of section 24 and 25 of the Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998 to include Matatiele jointly with Maluti into the Sisonke District Municipality. The MDB thoroughly considered all the developmental and spatial factors and came to a considered decision, and the Board did not find any compelling economic or other reason why Matatiele should move to the Eastern Cape Province (see 3124 Provincial Gazette of KwaZulu-Natal: General Notice No. 94 of 2005). · Despite the decision of the Board to include Matatiele jointly with Maluti into Sisonke District in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, the Committee alleges that, the Minister instructed the Board to make a final determination consistent with the Bills that were before Parliament in December 2005. · The Committee submits that the government’s decision before Parliament is misdirection on a huge scale and should be rejected by Parliament. · The Committee humbly requests that the Bills be withdrawn.	· Noted · · . ·
3.	K J Moeti on behalf of the Community of Matatiele P O Box 352 MATATIELE 4730 Received 18 June 2007	· The community perceives that boundaries are done or conducted based on ethnicity and customs. · The community would like to be serviced by KwaZulu-Natal Province not the Eastern Cape Province. · The community indicates that, the claims by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government that they provide services and infrastructure in the area is not true, and the community urge the government to visit the area to see for themselves. · The community further indicates that, the traveling distance to government offices for both provinces, as a community they are mostly favored by KwaZulu-Natal Province because it is a 2hrs drive while to the Eastern Cape it is a 7hrs drive. · Finally the community indicates that, they be released to the KwaZulu-Natal Province. (Attached is a 2 page name list of members of the community)	·
4.	M Gcabo 0721477689 P O Box 10024 MATATIELE 4730 Received 12 June 2007	· M Gcabo indicates that, he opposes the action of moving the Matatiele Local Municipality into the Eastern Cape Province based on section 24 and 25 of the Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998. According to the said Act it is clear that Matatiele belongs to the KwaZulu-Natal Province. · Section 2 of the constitution militates against incorporation of Matatiele to the Eastern Cape.	·
5.	Nkosi T N Magadla, Chairperson CONTRALESA Maluti / Matatiele branch P O Box 232 MATATIELE 4730 Received 19 June 2007	· The branch submits that, Matatiele with its surrounding rural areas must form one municipality under the Eastern Cape Province. (Attached is name list of members of the community who attended the CONTRALESA branch meeting.	· Noted
6.	Elrita and Councilor Dolly, Ward 21 Matatiele Local Municipality Tel: 039 7373131/2/5/6 Received 15,18 &19 June 2007	· Communities in the ward were consulted on the Bill and they made comments. The community support Parliament and government on the decision to that Matatiele Local Municipality should remain in the Eastern Cape Province. (Attached is a name list from members of the public).	· Noted.
7.	Eastern Cape NGO Coalition Alfred Nzo Region Chairperson: Herbert Molaoa Telefax: 039 737 4131 Cell: 0836739546 Received 1 June 2007	§ The NGO is supporting the incorporation of Matatiele Local Municipality into the Eastern Cape Province. § The NGO is of the idea that before Matatiele was incorporated into the Eastern Cape there were many hardships of difficulties in bringing services to rural villages and surrounding towns and to NGOs. § Also that the incorporation of Matatiele into the Eastern Cape Province may impact positively on service delivery, socio-economic, development and political factors in the Alfred Nzo District.	· Noted.