Madam Deputy Speaker, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, comrades, hon members, today's debate is about deepening democracy and the pivotal role that the ANC has played in bringing into reality the ability of all South Africans to elect a representative local government of their choice.
This amending Bill is the result of a political process that we, as the ANC, have brought about. It is one in which all political parties, informed by their experiences of local government elections, have come together in order to effect changes to ensure a better functioning local government election process in 2011.
Throughout its 98 years of existence, the ANC has fought for the voice of the people to be translated into a national democratic society whose values and principles are to be found in the guiding policy document, the Freedom Charter, of 1955; one of whose principal clauses states: "The people shall govern".
With this amending Bill we seek, therefore, to deepen democracy in that the clauses we seek to amend will benefit the masses of our people by enabling them to access and enjoy their right to vote in their choice of local government, and in a manner that is easier and more efficient.
This year we celebrate the first decade of being able to democratically elect a local government that represents the people's choice, enhancing the principal value of "The people shall govern". As we move towards the third democratic local government elections in 2011 we have, today, the opportunity to ensure that we stand strengthened by the system and functions that will govern these elections.
South Africa's system of local government is one of the youngest and most democratic in the world. The first democratic local government elections held in December 2000 enabled South Africans to vote for public representatives and parties within a transformed local government.
With this amending Bill we have the opportunity to qualitatively improve the participation of registered voters in the process of influencing decision-making by electing candidates who will represent the aspirations of the masses of our people in the allocation of resources and the identification of local government needs and priorities. We have, through this amending Bill, the opportunity to enhance the participation of our people at the centre of development, not merely as beneficiaries, but as drivers of transformation.
This amending Bill provides for the opportunity to strengthen the system of electing public representatives, drawing on the lessons derived from our collective experience of the need for a more effective and accountable manner in which we elect our public representatives to local government.
There are those who will suggest that this Bill is a mere technicality; it is not. This amending Bill is a product of the national Political Party Liaison Committee process in which robust discussions have taken place. The mere fact that this Bill deals with critically important matters such as party agents and their representation at voting stations, which is the lifeblood of political-party intervention at this level of the election process, informs us that we are dealing with issues of power and regulation of power with regard to electing party and public representatives.
The first 10 years of democratic local government have registered remarkable achievements at the front line of change in improving the lives of our people. We have, indeed, achieved a great deal, and although much more needs to be done, many communities around the country have seen positive change in the past 10 years.
One of the component parts in the theory of the national democratic revolution is the creation of a democratic state; the establishment of democratic institutions that derive their authority from the people; regular elections; and continuing popular participation in the process of governance, giving expression to the statements in the Freedom Charter that "All people shall be entitled to take part in the administration of the country," and that "Every man and woman shall have the right to vote for and stand as a candidate for all bodies which make laws".
For this amending Bill to be operationalised it requires two important institutions of democracy to support its spirit and intention. These are the Independent Electoral Commission, the IEC, whose duties are, among other things, to manage elections of national, provincial and municipal legislative bodies in accordance with national legislation and to ensure that those elections are free and fair. The second one is the SA Local Government Association, Salga, since local government elections are dependent upon the infrastructure that exists.
The reality is that, from time to time, we shall have to bring to this House amendments to the principal Act. Assessments and evaluations of each election inform us of strengths and weaknesses and the need for amendments.
Another institution that plays a pivotal role in the local government democracy and electoral process is the Municipal Demarcation Board. It has recently completed its work and finalised the demarcation of ward boundaries for the 2011 local government elections. Municipal wards are crucial units of our democracy, because they serve as the core of ward- based development, apart from being regarded as units that hold the electorate accountable to the people.
The Bill has been considered thoroughly by the portfolio committee, which has received inputs from the IEC and the Department of Home Affairs. It, however, transpired that Salga was not provided with the opportunity to make inputs prior to the introduction of the Bill to Parliament, as required in terms of section 154(2) of the Constitution. This has been addressed among the IEC, the department and Salga.
One issue that was raised by the Minister is the issue of the redemarcation of the boundary for the voting station where the queues are long, a technical aspect which will be elaborated on by the hon Thibedi. Thank you. [Applause.]