ONLY half of the Western Cape’s 25 municipalities have successfully held their inaugural meetings and elected executives as Tuesday’s deadline for council constitution looms.
According to the Municipal Structures Act, all 278 of the country’s municipalities must be constituted by November 23, 14 days after the Local Government elections results were proclaimed.
In the Western Cape, Drakenstein, Stellenbosch, Laingsburg, Hessequa, Mossel Bay, Swellendam, Bergriver, Matzikama, Cederberg, Kannaland, Swartland and as of this morning Breede Valley municipalities have already held their first meetings and successfully elected new leadership.
Of the 12, seven councils were in municipalities where the DA had gained a majority and could easily call a meeting to swear in councillors before electing a speaker, mayor and deputy mayor.
However, the situation is not as clear-cut in the province’s 16 hung municipalities where no one party gained an outright majority which necessitates coalition talk - as parties squabble and negotiate over terms.
Wednesday, the hotly contested Oudtshoorn, Beaufort West and Saldanha Bay municipalities were expected to host their inaugural meetings to elect a new executive. Thursday, the City of Cape Town, Knysna, Theewaterskloof and Bitou were scheduled to hold council meetings.
But some councils like Cape Agulhas and George are cutting it fine, announcing their dates for next week while others are yet to confirm the date set for the meeting.
Failure by municipalities to constitute within the given time frames would mean the MEC for Local Government, Anton Bredell, could intervene by applying section 139 of the Constitution which gives him power to do so when a municipality cannot fulfil its obligations.
“My department is on the ground supporting and advising Municipalities in relation to due processes pertaining to their First Council Meetings. We trust that all councils will swiftly complete the processes and be constituted,” said Bredell in a statement.