Pretoria – A proposal has been made to reopen the outer boundary redetermination process, giving the Malamulele community an opportunity to make contributions to the process of reconfiguring municipal boundaries.
Speaking at a special media session on Friday, Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) chairperson Jane Thupana said the proposal came from Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Pravin Gordhan.
“I need to indicate that there is a new opportunity for the Malamulele community that presents itself in the form of a proposal that seeks to have the outer boundary redetermination process reopened for some municipalities across the country to have their boundaries reconfigured before 2016 Local Government Elections,” she said.
Thupana said all the local municipalities in the Vhembe District in Limpopo - Thulamela, Makhado, Musina and Mutale - are affected.
In considering the Minister’s proposal, Thupana said the board will embark on the process, starting with the publication of section 26 notices during the first and second weeks of this month.
“With benefit from the study, the Malamulele community is better positioned to make meaningful contributions to the process towards crafting sustainable municipalities. We are therefore urging the community to actively engage in this process,” she said.
The MDB chair said they regard Malamulele to have been a national case study from which major lessons in the second decade of the democracy can be learned.
She said those lessons from the lengthy and painful process has become an investment in the shaping of a democratic and developmental local government.
Service delivery protests in Malamulele
Schools and shops remain closed in Malamulele following month-long protests by residents who are demanding a separate municipality after alleged complaints of poor service delivery by Thulamela municipality.
The violent protests, which resulted in some schools being torched, were fuelled a week ago when the MDB denied Malamulele a stand-alone municipality.
“The MDB is committed to sustain a developmental approach to address the historically fragmented and inadequate spatial planning with all stakeholders.
“The demarcation process supports integrated development planning, greater involvement of communities in local level consultation initiatives and a partnership approach towards efforts to grow local economies,” Thupana said.
Criteria for the decision of the board
When the board determines a municipal boundary, its objective must be:
- to establish an area that will fulfil the provision of democratic and accountable government for the local communities;
- the provision of service to the communities in an equitable and sustainable manner;
- the promotion of social and economic development; and
- the promotion of a safe and healthy environment, to mention but a few.
Ward delimitations process
Every five years before the Local Government Elections are held, the Board delimits wards in every municipality that must have wards.
The ward delimitation process was concluded in October 2013. Thupana said the delimitation process started with an awareness campaign initiated by the board during the second half of 2014, adding that the board has commenced with the public consultation process.
She said this second phase of the process began on 19 January this year and will end next month. - SAnews.gov.za
