Madam Deputy Speaker, we appointed a ministerial task team last year and mandated it to address some of the issues we identified as needing attention in the demarcation process in areas such as the following: Firstly, the reasons for considering changes or possible changes of municipal boundaries every time we go for local government elections; secondly, whether the public participation process is managed in an environment where all the people have an equal say in influencing possible changes in the municipal boundary situations; thirdly, whether the system is not open to manipulation where the changes may only suit certain individuals who may be more vocal or advantaged by whatever factors; and fourthly, whether all changes to municipal boundaries will lead to a better state for a municipality to deliver the services required by the people.
Having dealt with this, the task team will report to us with a view to providing the necessary remedies in case there are challenges.
According to the original mandate, the target date for the task team to report was the end of July 2013. This target date has since been adjusted due to the consideration of pressing issues in the public discourse. The task team was instructed to wind up and report as a matter of urgency. It will be presenting its report tomorrow, after which we will chart a way forward on the issues that the team was working on.
Yes; the task team engaged with the Municipal Demarcation Board on an issue- by-issue basis, related to their respective mandates. It has consulted with the board to introduce its programmes as part of multistakeholder engagement sessions and also on one-by-one engagements. We engaged the board at the conceptualisation stage by taking it on board. In fact, the chairperson of the demarcation board is part of this task team. I thank you.