The Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Act is enabling legislation in terms of dealing with questions of competency. The regulations are meant to facilitate the interpretation and application of the amendment in terms of that. We will soon publish that. There is a process of consultation, which we are finalising, on the regulations themselves. July was our target, but we have since shifted that to allow for final consultations. We will continue to deal with that - I'm meeting the unions tomorrow as part of that consultation. On Tuesday, I'm meeting the SA Local Government Association as part of taking this process of consultation forward in order to finalise the regulations so that we can amend.
I think hon delegates will remember that the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Act, owing to its nature, has been a process characterised by quite a lot of toing and froing. We are dealing with that and these matters will be addressed. However, it can't be argued that at the moment we don't have an instrument when the Act is there. It is very clear in terms of the proclamation, which is commonly referred to as the 2013 Proclamation, between the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Minister of Finance. There are even specific minimum requirements. That is why it is now being said that the local government environment is actually overregulated. It is because we are dealing with those very issues. So, there can be no such excuse. Yes, of course, we are not abdicating our responsibility to finalise the regulations. We will do so, as I have indicated.