The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 in order to:
- remove all references to district management areas
- remove all references to plenary executive system as a type of municipality
- provide for a minimum of 10 councillors per municipality; to amend the deviation threshold
- provide for the prohibition of a councillor who was found guilty of a breach of the Code of Conduct for Councillors for a period of two years
- clarify the date of assumption of office by a councillor
- allow for extension on the declaration of the result of an election
- require the municipal manager to inform the MEC for local government in the province in addition to the Electoral Commission of ward vacancies
- provide that the MEC call and set the date for by-elections
- clarify who can inform the municipal manager of a specific vacancy
- allow the MEC to designate a person to call and chair a meeting of the municipal council when the speaker, acting speaker or municipal manager refuses to call the meeting
- provide for additional functions of the speaker
- provide for a whip of municipal council; to clarify the formula for the composition of an executive committee
- provide for the establishment of a Municipal Public Accounts Committee
- provide for the resolution of a situation where excessive seats may arise from the seat calculation in local municipalities
- amend the timeframe for the municipal manager to inform the chief electoral officer of vacancies
- allow for the MEC to inform the chief electoral officer of vacancies if the municipal manager fails to do so
- clarify the supplementation of party lists for local municipalities
- provide for the resolution of multiple seats which may arise where a candidate qualifies to be elected to more than one seat
- clarify the supplementation of party lists for district municipalities
- provide for a Code of Conduct for Councillors
- provide for matters connected therewith.
Read the full text of the Amendment Bill below
