Speaker, hon members, representatives of local government, today is an important milestone in our ongoing march to realise our vision of a developmental local government in South Africa.
This vision is fundamentally about people-centred local government, and the need to make our municipalities administratively and professionally sound so that we can improve the lives of all our people.
Since 1994, we have seen a reduction in the number of municipalities and an increase in the number of wards. After this year's local government elections, the decrease would be from 283 to 278, with wards growing beyond 4 000. This shows our commitment to the intensification of local democracy in our communities.
Today, we are tabling the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill, which is an important piece of legislation that addresses the following key matters.
First, the Bill sends a clear message that our municipalities must and will be more professional in the manner in which they do their business.
Second, it seeks to ensure that competent and well-qualified officials are appointed to provide the best possible service to our people.
Third, it also regulates various matters on human resource management in a manner that promotes greater uniformity and predictability across municipalities.
Fourth, it deepens accountability of senior municipal officials to the council, and by the same token places certain obligations on politically elected officials.
Fifth, the Bill also prohibits municipal managers and those directly reporting to them, referred to as section 57 managers, from holding any position as office bearers in any political party.
Finally, the Bill makes provision for organised local government to consult with the Minister responsible for co-operative governance and traditional affairs, prior to entering into negotiations with the Local Government Bargaining Council.
In 2009, we undertook a thorough assessment of the state of local government in South Africa. Our view was and is that local government is functional, but there are critical areas that require urgent attention.
The legislation before the House today is aimed at learning from the lessons of and addressing the weaknesses of the democratic local government since 1994, and 1998 in particular. This was the year in which the White Paper on Developmental Local Government was adopted. We also focus squarely on key issues that arose from the 2009 State of Local Government report.
Today it is therefore a positive step that requires all of us and all political parties, particularly those represented here, to support this.
The Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill introduces a number of provisions that seek to professionalise local government administration in order for better services to be provided. In defining our future trajectory, we have resolved that professionalism of local government must take centre stage.
One of the key objectives of this legislation is to progressively align our systems of municipal administration and human resource management with that of the Public Service in the national and provincial governments.
Firstly, we are all aware that our local administrations in local government take different forms and are highly fragmented. Secondly, we have realised that in some cases municipalities, regardless of the political party in leadership, are staffed by employees who are not necessarily qualified for the duties that they are undertaking.
It is for this reason that the Bill makes it mandatory for municipalities to employ appropriately qualified and competent people. We want to go further and call on all political parties who are running our municipalities to ensure that we implement the legislation. It is our view that municipal managers and their direct subordinates should possess inherent requirements for employment in order to ensure excellence in our institutions. In the event that the councils act against this measure, we have made specific provisions to enable MECs and the Minister responsible to act in this regard.
It has always been our view that political micromanagement of municipalities is not desirable. This was demonstrated during our assessment exercise when we experienced a shockingly high level of inappropriate political interference in the administrations. This is the case regardless of which party is in leadership in the municipalities. As a progressive government, we have resolved that municipal managers and those directly reporting to them ought not to occupy political office in any political party.
You will agree with me that corruption is an enemy of development in our endeavour to eradicate the poverty and unemployment that are facing us today. We are tackling these issues head-on. We have taken a major step by regulating the re-employment of employees dismissed for serious misconduct. Those found to have defrauded the state will have no space in our local government sphere.
We have agreed that officials found guilty of such serious misconduct as fraud and corruption should not be re-employed by any municipality for a period of 10 years. We are a government at work and dedicated to achieving clean, effective and efficient local government.
We are also concerned about the manner in which collective agreements have been entered into in the past. That is why we have made a point that, in the process of consultation, the Financial and Fiscal Commission is one key player to be consulted.
The government adopted the Local Government Turnaround Strategy in 2009. Our primary aim is to restore the confidence of the majority of our people in our municipalities.
We also aim to rebuild and improve the basic requirements for a functional, responsive, effective, efficient and accountable developmental local government. This Bill takes us boldly in that direction.
Today, we call on this House to support the Bill. I thank you.