Hon Deputy Speaker, the AIC supports this Bill, however there are few issues that we would like to raise. The Local Government Structures Bill will not pass the constitutional master because it has glaring anomalies. Despite our support for its promulgation, the Bill cannot be passed as it is. The formalisation of the Municipal Public Accounts Committees marks an important era in the governance of local government. It will strengthen oversight and safeguard public resources against plunder.
We are concerned, Deputy Speaker, that the Bill empowers the executive head of the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, that is, MEC of a
particular province to designate a person to call and chair a meeting of the municipal council where the Speaker, Acting Speaker or Municipal Manager refuses to call the meeting. This will be tantamount to the violation of the separation of powers. It allows an executive functionary in a province to pick and choose the chair of the municipal councils when the Speaker, Acting Speaker of Municipal Manager refuses to call the meeting.
Effectively, the MEC is allowed to continue the chairing of the council. This could have the rippled effect of stifling robust debate, criticism and effective oversight in the council. In our view, when there is a stale mate on the chairing of the council, the mediation committee should elect the chair. Where the mediation committee is nonexistent the Bill should create one. The MEC cannot be the one who delegates the chair of the council if one considers the South African Electoral System with its attendant shortcomings. Thank you very much.