The South African municipal landscape is going to change after the next municipal elections in 2016 following the final decision of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) on the re-determination of municipal boundaries.
The MDB Chairperson, Landiwe Mahlangu says, “We have reached the final leg of this cycle and made the final determination of the cases that were before the Board. In reaching its final determination, the board was by law expected based on objections received to either vary, confirm or withdraw its decision on a particular case”.
“The board met and considered the objections that were submitted and made the final determinations as guided by section 24 and 25 of the Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, Act 27 of 1998 and section 2 of the Municipal Structures Act. The final outcome has been communicated to all stakeholders concerned through the publication in the provincial gazettes.
The board had 157 cases that had been published in terms of section 21 notices and received close to 10 000 objections from different provinces with the majority being from Gauteng.
A brief breakdown of how some of the municipal boundaries are going to be affected in the respective provinces.
Eastern Cape province
In the Eastern Cape province, there were 26 cases of which 22 were confirmed and four withdrawn (these are mostly around Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality). The withdrawn cases were arrived at as a result of the consultation by the municipality with the affected communities. The Board in such case took a view that it is in the interest of everyone to maintain the status quo.
Free State province
In this province, there were six cases published in terms of section 21 notices and all were confirmed. What should be noted in the province is that the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is going to expand its jurisdiction to cover portion of Masilonyana municipality as from 2016.
The board has re-determined the municipal boundaries of Masilonyana Local Municipality, Lejweleputswa District Municipality and Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality by excluding farms (Ikgomotseng/Soutpan Community) from the municipal areas of Masilonyana Local Municipality and Lejweleputswa District Municipality by including it into the municipal area of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality as I indicated above.
Gauteng province
In the Gauteng province, there were three cases and all were confirmed. These include the confirmation of the re-determined municipal boundaries of Randfontein and Westonaria Local Municipalities by amalgamating them into a single category B local municipality.
The next case is that of the redetermination of municipal boundaries of Emfuleni, Midvaal Local Municipalities and Sedibeng District Municipality amalgamating them into a single category A Metropolitan Municipality. With the formation of the metropolitan municipality, the Sedibeng District Municipality will fall away. In addition Lesedi Local Municipality will be excluded from Sedibeng District municipality and be included into Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
The last case in Gauteng, involves the redetermination of the municipal boundaries of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and City of Johannesburg Metropolitan by excluding a portion of the farm Elandsfontein (portion of East Gate Shopping Centre) from the municipal area of Johannesburg to be include into the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
The effects of the boundary redeterminations in Gauteng would result in the reduction of 4 municipalities from 12 municipalities.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province
The most affected province will be KZN where there were 37 cases, 30 of which were confirmed, two withdrawn and five varied. Currently there are 61 municipalities which will be reduced through amalgamations to 54 municipalities (reduced by seven municipalities). These are, Ugu, Uthukela, Umkhanyakude, Uthungulu and Sisonke districts.
The following municipalities have been combined and amalgamated:
DEM4060 _ Vulamehlo and Umdoni
DEM4067 –Hlabisa and The Big 5 False Bay
DEM4141 –Umtshezi and Imbabazane
DEM4097 –Ezinqoleni and Hibiscus Coast
DEM4142 –Emnambithi/Ladysmith and Indaka
DEM4150 –Kwa Sani and Ingwe
DEM4154/DEM4176 - Ntambanana/ Mthonjaneni/Umhlathuze
Most of the variations were based on the fact that the cases involved were splitting communities and it became necessary keep those communities intact.
Mpumalanga province
In Mpumalanga Province there were two cases which were duly confirmed. Firstly, the re-determination affecting Mbombela Local Municipality (MP322) and Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (MP325). This is the exclusion of portions of the farms Marite 287, Sandford 291, the Red Ridge 293 and Madras 292, from the municipal area of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (MP325), and by including them into the municipal area of Mbombela Local Municipality (MP322), and by excluding portions of the farms Sandford 291 and Madras 292, from the municipal area of Mbombela Local Municipality (MP322), and by including them into the municipal area of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (MP325).
Secondly, the re-determination of Lekwa Local Municipality (MP305) and Dipaleseng Local Municipality (MP306). This is excluding farms Raskop 524, Boschmansfontein 523 and Farm 525 from the municipal area of Lekwa Local Municipality (MP305), and including them into the municipal area of Dipaleseng Local Municipality (MP306).
Other provinces
The total number of municipalities in the other Six provinces will not be affected. The only changes that will take effected are situations where boundaries are re-determined through the exclusion of certain portions and other being amalgamated to other municipalities.
Based on the final determination of the Board, below is a broad picture of how municipalities are going to be affected. Currently, there are 278 municipalities, which includes all three categories and in 2016 these would have been reduced to 267.
The impact of this rationalisation will see the net effect of 267 municipalities being achieved by one additional metro, 11 reductions of local municipalities and one reduction of district municipalities. A close look at this table it will be noted that only two of the 9 province are affected in terms of the number of municipalities.
This trend is consistent with the gradual rationalisation that has been done in previous boundary redeterminations. As per the legislation, the Independent Electoral Commission will be informed of the outcome of the Board’s final determination for it to assess its impact, which will determine the dates in which these redeterminations will take effect.
|
Province |
Category A (Metropolitan) |
Category B (Local) |
Category C (District) |
Total |
Changes |
|
Eastern Cape 2011 |
2 |
37 |
6 |
45 |
N |
|
Eastern Cape 2016 |
2 |
37 |
6 |
45 |
|
|
Free State 2011 |
1 |
19 |
4 |
24 |
N |
|
Free State 2016 |
1 |
19 |
4 |
24 |
|
|
Gauteng 2011 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
12 |
Y |
|
Gauteng 2016 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
|
|
KwaZulu-Natal 2011 |
1 |
50 |
10 |
61 |
Y |
|
KwaZulu-Natal 2016 |
1 |
43 |
10 |
54 |
|
|
Limpopo 2011 |
0 |
25 |
5 |
30 |
N |
|
Limpopo 2016 |
0 |
25 |
5 |
30 |
|
|
Mpumalanga 2011 |
0 |
18 |
3 |
21 |
N |
|
Mpumalanga 2016 |
0 |
18 |
3 |
21 |
|
|
North West 2011 |
0 |
19 |
4 |
23 |
N |
|
North West 2016 |
0 |
19 |
4 |
23 |
|
|
Northern Cape 2011 |
0 |
27 |
5 |
32 |
N |
|
Northern Cape 2016 |
0 |
27 |
5 |
32 |
|
|
Western Cape 2011 |
1 |
24 |
5 |
30 |
N |
|
Western Cape 2016 |
1 |
24 |
5 |
30 |
|
|
Total 2011 |
8 |
226 |
44 |
278 |
|
|
Total 2016 |
9 |
215 |
43 |
267 |
|
The next phase will be delimitations of wards, which will be another consultative process with the affected stakeholders, which will start now and up until 2015 in preparation for the local government elections in 2016.
Enquiries:
Jabu Mthembu on behalf of the Municipal Demarcation Board
Tel: 012 342 2481
Cell: 082 909 8505
email: media@demarcation.org.za
