Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.The municipality is the coalface of service delivery — this is where citizens experience value for their votes, taxes and rates. It is one of the single most important spheres of governance, which cannot afford such vulnerability.
There has been a tokenisation of smaller parties in various municipalities, where they have been used by bigger parties to secure mayorships in exchange for government positions. There is no doubt that instabilities and inconsistencies at local government level have led to citizens losing trust in the political system and democracy and the ability of these to respond to their plight and change their trajectories.
In addition, the motion of no confidence must be submitted via notice and an independent panel appointed to review its validity. These are serious and positive turning points in South African legislation, which has seen the signing of the municipal systems amendment bill, which seeks to professionalise the public service at the municipal level, and now the proposed municipal structures amendment bill.
This is regression and an impairment to the great work that has been done on inclusivity, even to the degree of introducing reforms such as the electoral amendment bill.