CoGTA Introduces Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill

According to CoGTA, the Bill proposes amendments to the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998, aiming to institutionalize coalition governments to better manage hung councils.

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thembi Nkadimeng, has endorsed the introduction of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, 2024, commonly referred to as the Coalition Bill. This legislative proposal aims to provide a structured framework for the formation and management of coalition governments within the local government sphere.

The Coalition Bill, gazetted by the department on Tuesday, seeks to address the rising complexities and challenges associated with coalition governance, which have become more pronounced with the increase in hung councils from 24 in 2000 to 81 following the 2021 Local Government Elections. This increase underscores the necessity of strengthening coalition governance to improve service delivery, governance stability, and mitigate issues within municipal councils.

According to CoGTA, the Bill proposes amendments to the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998, aiming to institutionalize coalition governments to better manage hung councils. A key provision of the Bill is the introduction of a definition for ‘coalition agreement,’ which would require political parties to enter into a written, negotiated, and binding agreement when forming coalition governments in municipalities where no single party holds a majority of seats.

The department believes that the Bill will address governance challenges related to the manipulation of council dynamics by less represented parties. The Coalition Bill aims to prevent coalitions formed through promises of senior positions or outright bribes, which undermine the municipality's functionality and service delivery capabilities.

Minister Nkadimeng highlighted the adverse impacts of infighting and walkouts in councils, which often lead to "inquorate" councils being unable to fulfill their legislated duties, make key appointments, or adopt crucial budgets and policies. These disruptions severely hinder municipal administrations from addressing service delivery backlogs, directly affecting local residents' lives and livelihoods.

As the legislative process for the Coalition Bill progresses, Minister Nkadimeng called on all stakeholders to actively engage and contribute valuable input to strengthen local government structures. The department is inviting the public to provide inputs on the Bill, aiming to address current implementation gaps and challenges within the local government sector.

Written submissions or comments can be sent to the Department of Cooperative Governance at comments.coalitionbill@cogta.gov.za by July 5, 2024. Comments can also be mailed to Director-General Nhlamulo Mathye at the Department of Cooperative Governance, Private Bag X804, Pretoria, 0001.