Deputy Speaker, the Bill is an indication that our constitutional democracy works in favour of our people, and the public's right to participation in the legislative process is a non-negotiable right. The Constitution binds the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces to allow public participation.
Contesting the constitutionality of the Constitution Twelfth Amendment Bill, the public, through responsible governance of the Municipal Demarcation Board, prohibited Parliament from exercising powers outside of its framework.
The Bill is primarily a technical correction on previous procedures, while the affected municipalities will still be faced with the challenges of the demarcation process. But, as far as the parliamentary process is concerned, the legislation has been aligned to conform with the Constitutional Court requirements.
The FD supports the Bill on its technical application. However, we trust that a people's democracy also effectively means providing the best services and resources available to them and that, in principle, these will be the objectives driving the demarcation process. I thank you.