Chair, the Draft Disaster Management Volunteer Regulations and Explanatory Memorandum on the Object of the Regulations are regulations that exist in terms of section 59 of the Disaster Management Act, Act 57 of 2002, which deals with the establishment of a unit of volunteers to participate in disaster management in a municipal area.
The regulations empower the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in case of a disaster, whether man-made or natural. The allowance is to bring in volunteers to an area hit by a disaster. The observation of the committee is that it is satisfied, and the inputs were consolidated. Therefore, the committee makes a recommendation to the House to approve that the regulations and memorandum be made effective.
The Draft Regulations on the Participation of Municipal Staff Members as Candidates for National, Provincial and Municipal Elections are in terms of section 71(a) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000, as amended in 2008. This provision of the Act empowers the Minister to prescribe limits and conditions in the form of regulations for all municipal staff members who, during the election period, stand to be elected to public office. In terms of these proposed regulations, a municipal staff member will be deemed to have resigned from his or her employment from the date of occupation, on a full-time basis, of the designated public office, either in the national Parliament, provincial legislature or municipal council. The observation of the committee is that the regulations make the election impartial. Therefore the committee agrees and recommends the regulations to this House for approval, because they are important. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report on Draft Disaster Management Volunteer Regulations and Explanatory Memorandum on Objects of the Regulations be adopted.