Parly's local govt committee members worried MECs might abuse their powers
This is if certain suggested amendments to the Western Cape Monitoring and Support of Municipalities Amendment Bill are given the green light.
FILE: The giant dome is being used as a temporary chamber of the South African National Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. Picture: Supplied/@ParliamentofRSA
CAPE TOWN - Some members of the Standing Committee on Local Government are concerned that Members of the Executive Council (MECs )might abuse their powers if certain suggested amendments to the Western Cape Monitoring and Support of Municipalities Amendment Bill are given the green light.
The Bill is designed to detect early signs of dysfunction in municipalities and allows an MEC to have investigative powers.
On Tuesday, the committee met to consider the comments received from the public.
Committee member Grant Marais says MECs should not be given a choice, as suggested by an amendment to the Bill, but must be forced to intervene in troubled municipalities.
Marais adds that any amendments made to the Bill now must also take into consideration the possibility of future coalition governments.
"I'm just trying to look at a scenario and to see whether these amendments are going to address the new scenarios that are about to play out in municipalities. So, there are ANC-run municipalities, so the Minister would one day decide I will use my discretion whether I'm going to support this municipality to get them out of their current mess. It's not going to be like the constitution says that you must support and strengthen municipalities irrespective of who is in charge of the municipality."
Provincial legislature's legal adviser, advocate Romeo Maasdorp, said measures are put in place to ensure MECs don't abuse their powers...
"However, even that fine line between monitoring and intrusion, between overreach and support, that fine line is being managed by the discretion that is afforded a Minister."