Mevrou die Adjunkspeaker, oorgrensmunisipaliteite is destyds ingestel om gemeenskappe by die naaste munisipaliteit te laat inskakel, ten spyte daarvan dat hulle in 'n ander provinsie woonagtig was. Daar is gereken dat die naaste munisipaliteit belangriker is as om in dieselfde provinsie te bly en by 'n munisipaliteit ingedeel te word wat verder gele is.
Dit het baie gemoedere gekalmeer om darem by die munisipaliteit te bly, al is daar provinsiale grense getrek wat gemeenskappe verdeel het. Daar is ook gemeen dat munisipale dienste beter gelewer sal kan word al is so 'n gemeenskap in `n ander provinsie.
Oorgrensmunisipaliteite is 'n eksperiment wat in die praktyk misluk het. Oorgrensmunisipaliteite het dit moeilik gevind om met twee stelle wette van twee provinsies rekening te hou. Die wetgewers van twee provinsies het byvoorbeeld uiteenlopende wette gemaak ten opsigte van gesondheid, behuising en beplanning. Munisipale amptenare moes dus daarmee rekening hou dat verskillende rels vir die oorgrensgebiede gegeld het.
Oor die skakeling met provinsies moes daar natuurlik by twee verskillende kantore in twee verskillende hoofstede geskakel word. Omdat die verskillende kantore in die verskillende provinsies nie ewe flink was nie, het munisipaliteite dikwels verle gestaan dat hulle nie dieselfde standaard diens kan lewer aan al hulle gebiede nie. Ongelukkig laat munisipale dienslewering feitlik orals in die land veel te wense oor en het die oorgrenssituasie by daardie munisipaliteite dienslewering verder versleg en van hierdie munisipaliteite het ook geskuil agter die oorgrenssituasie, as 'n verskoning vir hulle vrot diens.
Die DA is daarom ten gunste van hierdie wetgewing wat wegdoen met oorgrensmunisipaliteite. Alhoewel die DA nog altyd die herroeping van hierdie wet voorgestaan het, het ons ons besware oor hoe die grenswysigings hanteer is. Daardie besware vir ons is dat in plaas daarvan dat die Minister en politici deurentyd betrokke was om met die publiek te skakel, is dit aan amptenare en die munisipale afbakeningsraad oorgelaat om gemeenskappe se voorstelle en besware aan te hoor.
Minister Mufamadi was nou nog nie by brandpunte soos Khutsong en Matatiele nie. Die gemeenskappe is nooit behoorlik ingelig om die groter prentjie te sien nie. Hulle is nie ingelig oor waarom oorgrensmunisipaliteite 'n onding is nie. Hulle is nie ingelig dat geld geskuif sal word na die ontvangende provinsie toe nie, sodat dienste nie sal versleg nie. Die ontvangende provinsies het nie genoegsaam uitgereik na die gemeenskappe om hulle te verseker dat daar na hulle behoeftes omgesien sal word nie.
Daar is ook nie genoegsaam oorleg gepleeg met en geluister na gemeenskappe nie. Die ANC het gedink dat hy sy eie aanhangers links en regs kan skuif en hulle sal dit maar net aanvaar. Nou sit ons met onluste en ontwrigting waaruit ons moeilik gaan kom. Die DA het gewaarsku oor die swak oorlegpleging en die blote feit dat die wetsontwerp weer vandag voor die Huis is, is 'n bewys dat ons reg was. Die ANC het ook duidelik indelings gemaak teen die wense van die gemeenskappe.
As byvoorbeeld Khutsong en Matatiele met 'n referendum getoets sou word, sal dit duidelik word dat die gemeenskappe onderskeidelik in Gauteng en KwaZulu-Natal wil wees. Dit is vir ons duidelik dat die ANC seker wil maak dat mense so geskuif word, dat dit die ANC se posisie in die Noord-Kaap, Gauteng en KwaZulu-Natal sal versterk. Die DA steun hierdie wetsontwerp. Dit is egter duidelik dat met die Ministers en die ANC se swak hantering van die saak, hulle 'n lat vir hulself in die pekel gel het, wat nog lank by ons gaan wees. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr M SWART: Madam Deputy Speaker, cross-boundary municipalities were originally established to integrate communities into the nearest municipality, despite the fact that they were living in another province. It was considered more important to be in the nearest municipality than remaining in the same province and being placed in a municipality which was situated further away.
It calmed many flaring tempers to remain with the municipality, even though provincial boundaries had been drawn that divided communities. It was also thought that municipal services could be delivered better, even if such a community was in another province.
Cross-boundary municipalities are an experiment that failed in practice. Cross-boundary municipalities found it difficult to cope with two sets of laws from two provinces. The legislatures of two provinces made divergent laws, for example, with regard to health, housing and planning. Municipal officials had to take into account that different rules applied to the cross-boundary areas.
With regard to liaising with provinces, two different offices in two different provinces had to be contacted. Because the different offices in the different provinces were not equally quick to respond, the municipalities were frequently embarrassed that they could not supply the same standard of service to all their areas. Unfortunately municipal service delivery leaves much to be desired virtually everywhere in the country and the cross-boundary situation in those municipalities further worsened that service delivery and some of these municipalities also hid behind the cross-boundary situation, as an excuse for their bad service.
The DA is therefore in favour of this legislation that abolishes cross- boundary municipalities. Although the DA has always been in favour of repealing this act, we have objections as regards the way in which the boundary changes are being dealt with. These objections are that instead of the Minister and politicians continually being involved to interact with the public, it was left to officials and the Municipal Demarcation Board to hear communities' suggestions and objections.
Minister Mufamadi has still not been to hotspots like Khutsong and Matatiele. The communities were never properly informed of the bigger picture. They were not informed as to why cross-boundary municipalities were bad. They were not informed that money would be trasferred to the recipient province, so that services would not deteriorate. The recipient province did not reach out sufficiently to the communities to assure them that their needs would be catered for. There was also not sufficient consultation with communities and they were not listened to adequately. The ANC thought that it could shift its own supporters this way and that and that they would simply accept it. Now we have protests and disruptions from which we will struggle to extricate ourselves. The DA warned about the poor consultation and the simple fact that this Bill is before this House again today, is proof that we were right. The ANC has also clearly redrawn boundaries against the wishes of the communities.
If Khutsong and Matatiele, for example, were tested with a referendum, it would become clear that the communities want to be in Gauteng and KwaZulu- Natal respectively. It is clear to us that the ANC wants to ensure that people are shifted in such a way that it will strengthen the ANC's position in the Northern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
The DA supports this Bill. It is clear, however, that with the bad handling by the Ministers and the ANC they have been hoist with their own petard and we will suffer the consequences for a long time. I thank you.]