National Assembly Cape Town: 25 October 2007  

The Local Government Laws Amendment Bill comprises a set of amendments to various statutes affecting the local government system, including the Municipal Demarcation Act, the Municipal Structure Act, the Municipal Systems Act and the Municipal Property Rates Act. 

In the main, the IFP is not unhappy with the proposed amendments to the law.

We recognise that as the local government system evolves, and on the basis of practice and experience, certain changes become increasingly necessary.

Then there are issues of alignment of various laws, and technical amendments which serve to correct defects in the principal acts. These then get packaged as a general amendment bill, which is what we have before us today. 

Though we are happy with the general thrust of the bill, this is not to say we are delighted with the formulation of each and every clause, because we are not. For instance, the notion that municipal employees should resign from the municipality once they become formally accepted by the IEC candidates in national, provincial or local elections is all very well, but if we have regard to the position of state employees and municipal elections, then we see that some flexibility may be required. Teachers, for instance, who resigned but who were not successful in the last local government elections, were subsequently reinstated in their posts. Surely this is both desirable and necessary, and we believe a provision similar to this, should have been inserted. Everyone has the right to stand for political office - the notion that this must entail losing one's job, irrespective of one's success or one's position on a list, is problematic. 

On the other hand, some clauses are clearly urgently needed and we support them. For instance, we strongly endorse the principle that the Minister, with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, may set an upper limit on the percentage by which the total revenue derived from rates on all property categories or a rate on a specific category of properties may be increased.

We tried to have a similar provision included in the principal act, but without success. We further trust the Minister will, after promulgation, promptly act on this empowering provision to curb the profligacy of councils which seem to have no regard for the consequences of sometimes totally unreasonable rates increases. 

One may argue that there are many changes required which could have been included in this particular bill but which are seemingly not on the agenda for change, and may further argue that some of the amendments proposed in this bill are less important than others that should be considered if we are to improve on the status quo. 

However, all in all, we are pleased with the bill and will vote for it.