Thank you, Chairperson. Through this exercise we are very aware that a vacancy rate of 13,45% exists in municipalities nationwide. In accordance with the organisational design and human resource principles, such a vacancy rate is close to the acceptable rate of 13,0%.
We also know that provinces that have high vacancy rates in key positions are the Northern Cape - where the vacancy rate for chief financial officer positions is 36,6%, for municipal managers 35,45% and directors in community development services 25% - while the North West, the Free State and Gauteng have the same vacancy rates, with a vacancy rate of only 25% for directors in technical services. [Interjections.]