Madam Speaker, the ID believes that the whole issue of cross-border municipalities has been handled extremely badly by the government. The government has, in fact, ridden roughshod over the wishes of the people who live in the affected areas. What is also clear is that the government has not held proper consultations and public participation over this issue, a view which was subsequently upheld by the Constitutional Court, forcing the drafting of the Constitution Thirteenth Amendment Bill.
The ID believes that proper consultation and public participation has still not taken place in the areas concerned on this extremely controversial issue, and it is for that reason and the fact that the ID believes in proper people-led development that we cannot possibly support this Bill. I thank you.