Chairperson, hon members and leaders of the provinces that are with us here today, allow me to take the minutes given to me to submit to the House the amendments to the Local Government Municipal Property Rates Act. The Act has not been fully complied with by some municipalities in this country as a result of the various capacities these municipalities have. We are introducing here the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Amendment Bill, Bill 12 of 2009.
The main objective of this Bill is to request the House to extend the time of validity of valuation rolls to allow municipalities to further process valuation rolls for these municipalities. It is very important that the House allows the extension precisely because you would know that the current Act lapsed on 2 July, allowing for there to be a vacuum in terms of the processes that are supposed to deal with property rates issues.
The Bill has only three clauses, with one key clause that requests the extension for the coming two years. This clause seeks to provide for the amendment of section 89(3) of the principal Act.
We are appealing for a decision so that once this decision is given the National Assembly will be able to continue with the processes hereafter. Up until now the assessment and microscopic analysis of the very same impact of the Act showed that municipalities were losing millions of rand as a result of noncompliance with this Act. Therefore to allow municipalities to access and continue collecting rates in the form of money will make it possible for the municipalities to eradicate poverty and respond to the many socioeconomic challenges that our municipalities are facing.
We would also make an appeal to the department that once the Bill has been passed, there is serious monitoring, evaluation, co-ordination and support so that we do not come back and request further extensions. Therefore, on behalf of the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, I submit this amending Bill to the House.
The rolls of about 13 municipalities are outstanding. In the interests of oversight by the various delegates of the House, I would mention that in the Eastern Cape we have four outstanding municipalities; in Limpopo we have one; in the Northern Cape we have three; in the Free State we have two; and in the North West we have three municipalities. So this will assist the permanent delegates, as we do oversight and go back to our constituency offices, to be able to do follow-up work and assist these municipalities in adhering to and ensuring that the valuation rolls are concluded.
The other matter that is not part of the amendment is that in the future we need to request the committee and the Houses to look at these animals, the property valuers - in fact, to check on their impact and the tools they are using in terms of assisting valuation systems. In that way, we will indeed conform with the slogan of "Working together we shall do more".
The other thing that is not related to this is that I would want to congratulate the ANC leadership, which is so serious and passionate everywhere in this country in all nine provinces, on intervening when the poor, the weak and the vulnerable do not receive water because the water supply is cut ... [Interjections.]
... and Cope as well. [Laughter.]
Cope will need to cope. They would never cope with the tactics of the ANC, the only organisation that has shown seriousness in the Western Cape with their interventions. I would like to congratulate our Chief Whip from the Western Cape on that effort. Let it be done forever and ever until there are better lives in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and everywhere where there are these problems. Amen. [Applause.]
Are you rising on a point of order, hon member?
No, Chairperson. I just want to know if the member is prepared to take a question.
No, unfortunately he has already concluded his speech.
Debate concluded.
I shall now put the question in respect of the Second Order. The question is that the Bill be agreed to. As the decision is dealt with in terms of section 65 of the Constitution, I shall first ascertain whether all political parties are present in the House to cast their province's votes. Are all political parties present?
I shall now allow political parties an opportunity to make their declaration of votes in terms of Rule 63 if they so wish. Is there any political party that wishes to make a declaration?
Declaration of vote:
Chairperson, you see this is my declaration ...
Hon Bloem, are you as Cope making a declaration of vote?
Yes.
Okay, make the declaration.
Chairperson, that is our chairperson as Cope: we support that chairperson and we have done very well over the past few days. We support.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr R J Tau)): Hon Bloem, you may sit down. [Interjections.]
We shall now proceed to the voting on the question. Before I call for the voting, please note all of us must vote in terms of section 63, all of us, all members in the House. That does not mean delegation heads only.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.