Pretoria - The Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) says it will consider new municipal boundary proposals for redeterminations only after the 2016 municipal elections.
MDB Chairperson Landiwe Mahlangu said the board was holding discussions about reducing the number of municipalities to ensure their efficiency, viability, and sustainability.
Last month, the board released its final decisions on municipalities that were up for consideration.
“As much as discussions are taking place, the only changes that are going to be effected are those on which the Board has taken a decision that was communicated last month. Any other proposals will only be considered by the Board after the 2016 local elections,” he said
Mahlangu was currently on a roadshow aimed at briefing provincial South African Local Government Association (Salga) structures on the final decisions taken by the board and the implications these would have.
The MDB was also waiting for Co-operative Governance Minister Lechesa Tsenoli and MECs in the affected municipalities to determine formulae and legislative changes that would affect the municipalities involved.
Mahlangu encouraged stakeholders to contribute to the development of municipalities.
He said as soon as there is consensus on what needs to done, stakeholders should then make proposals to the Board after the 2016 local elections for consideration.
Mahlangu said they have already given information to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for it to comment on the impact of the Board’s decision and will soon embark on a ward delimitation process. Part of the process will be to ensure a smooth transition of the affected municipalities to effectively function on the first day of actual implementation.
The MDB is an independent authority, which in terms of section 155 (3) (b) of the South African Constitution, is responsible for the determination of municipal boundaries. - SAnews.gov.za
