The Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) highlighted its experiences and challenges regarding demarcation and proposed possible solutions to the Select Committee on Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs (National Council of Provinces) during a Parliamentary Summit held in Cape Town.
The Summit sought to debate and find solutions to improve on how the MDB carry its mandate, particularly as it relates to enhancing public participation and deepening democracy at municipal level.
In addition, the participants including the MDB were expected to provide inputs on how legislative impediments experienced could be changed to improve the process.
The Chairperson of the Board, Landiwe Mahlangu provided the committee and other stakeholders that attended a detailed presentation on what the Board does. The focus of his presentation was titled “Towards Transformative Demarcation Framework”.
Amongst the challenges, Mahlangu highlighted related to the following aspects:
- · Municipal boundaries
- · Categories of municipalities
- · Establishment of municipalities
- · Ward delimitation (electoral system for local government)
- · Ward delimitation (voters roll)
- · Ward delimitation (criteria)
- · Ward delimitation (stability in local government)
- · Synchronisation of wards and outer boundaries and
- · Use of voting districts as building blocks for wards
Mahlangu outlined legislative framework solutions that he was proposed in addressing the challenges articulated above.
The Chairperson of the Select Committee, Matome Mokgobi and colleagues lauded the challenges the Board had to contend with and committed themselves to forward the proposed changes for consideration by parliament. The Select Committee also indicated that it would plan a follow-up summit to consolidate what was achieved in this initial one.
Other stakeholders that attended the Parliamentary Summit included the South Africa Local Government of South Africa (SALGA)
