Make your voice heard on the proposed Coalition Bill

Make your voice heard on the proposed Coalition Bill

COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED UNTIL 31 AUGUST. 

CAN’s submission on the Municipal Structures Amendment Bill to make your own submission

Pic: Shutterstock

Time is running out for the public to comment on the proposed Coalition Bill which, if enacted in its current form, could have significant implications for municipalities nationwide, says the Community Action Network (CAN).

CAN, an initiative of OUTA, has prepared a comprehensive submission and is inviting the public to adopt this submission as their own in order to entrench participatory democracy.

The deadline for comments on the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill, dubbed the Coalition Bill, is 31 August 2024.

CAN project manager Jonathan Erasmus says that while the bill aims to stabilise coalition governments in municipalities, many of the proposed amendments could undermine the autonomy of municipalities, councillors, and ultimately the voters.

“We need to remain vigilant to protect our democracy. We need to make sure the will of people, and not the pen of a minister, dictates how local governments are run. Municipalities are accountable to the people who elected them and we need to make sure this remains the case,” said Erasmus.

The bill claims the proposed changes will enhance clarity, transparency, stability, accountability, and conflict resolution in governance.
However, CAN has identified several major concerns with the amendments, including:

• Political overreach into local government affairs from both national and provincial ministerial levels.
• Excessive restrictions on the right to bring forward motions of no confidence against office bearers such as the mayor, deputy mayor, or speaker.
• The removal of the secret ballot option as a voting mechanism.

By visiting CAN’s purpose-built webpage, the public will be able to easily submit the CAN submission as their own.
“Our mission at CAN is to educate, inform and foster better public engagement. By taking part in our submission, or even making your own, we are strengthening democracy,” said Erasmus.

The CAN submission is grounded in the principle of respecting the separation of powers and ensuring the Constitution is upheld at all times.

More information

A soundclip with comment by Jonathan Erasmus, Project Manager for CAN, is here.
For more information about CAN’s submission, see here.
To read the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill and track its progress through Parliament via the Parliamentary Monitoring Group, see here.