Parliament’s Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Administration, Mr Lechesa Tsenoli has welcomed the President’s decision to assent to the Local Government Municipal Systems Amendment Act. Mr Tsenoli said the law has major implications for the work of councils throughout the country. “It’s an important leg in the implementation of the turn-around strategy”, he said.
Mr Tsenoli has urged the national department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Administration and South African Local Government Association to urgently produce an accessible version of the law so that each councillor and senior manager gets to understand the law internalise it urgently.
“We hope that the law will be implemented sensitively, in the interest of sound, political and administrative relations in this country”, said Mr Tsenoli.
According to Mr Tsenoli, the Act empowers the Minister to support weaker municipalities and introduce the ability at senior manager level by removing the contractual nature of their employment and making it permanent. “More importantly, it also prohibits employment of people convicted of fraud and related activities”, said Mr Tsenoli.
The Local Government Municipal Systems Amendment Bill was passed by Parliament in April this year. Amongst others, the Bill makes provision for the appointment of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers; determines timeframes within which performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers must be concluded and to make further provision for the evaluation of the performance of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers; to require employment contracts and performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers to be consistent with the Act and any regulations made by the Minister
For more enquiries:
Kanyisa Ndyondya
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8041
Cell: 083 624 0585
Email: kndyondya@parliament.gov.za
Source: Parliament of South Africa
