The Gauteng and the North West legislatures will hold joint public hearings to consider the Constitution Twelfth Amendment Bill, which deals with South Africa’s cross-boundary municipalities.
The Bill, which was recently passed by Parliament and referred to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), proposes that some councils in Merafong be moved to the North West.
Before the Bill was passed, residents of Khutsong held violent protests, demanding that their area should not be moved to the North West and claiming that Gauteng offers better opportunities.
On Wednesday, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa said the two legislatures are still sorting out where the joint public hearings will be held.
”We took a decision that … both the North West legislature and Gauteng, by resolution of their respective legislatures, agreed that they are going to have joint hearings,” Shilowa said.
”In doing so, they seek to give communities an opportunity to engage with the proposal of Parliament,” he told reporters.
The NCOP has already sent the Bill to the provinces for consideration.
”We have taken a view that says we can’t take a position as the provincial government when there have been no hearings.
”At the end of the public hearings, the legislatures will draft a report which will go to the respective legislatures where a decision will be taken,” he said.
The Gauteng government will take its position on the basis of the decision of the Gauteng legislature, he said.
”That’s where we account.”
Shilowa said the Gauteng government took a decision that it should allow the public hearings to take place before coming to a conclusion on the matter.
The affected municipalities in Gauteng are Merafong and Tshwane. In Mpumalanga, the affected areas are Bronkhorstspruit and Etwatwa on the East Rand.
”I think we are less likely to have hearings in Kungwini and in the areas of Tshwane because in terms of the current proposals, they find favour with the communities that are involved.
”We are not going to have hearings in Westonaria as well, but we are going to have hearings in Merafong because there are different views from the community,” he said. — Sapa