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2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS 22 FEBRUARY 2011

2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS 22 FEBRUARY 2011 SELECT COMMITTEE: COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS. Your partner in service delivery and development. OUTLINE. PURPOSE INTRODUCTION INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LG ELECTIONS

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2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS 22 FEBRUARY 2011

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  1. 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS 22 FEBRUARY 2011 SELECT COMMITTEE: COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS Your partner in service delivery and development

  2. OUTLINE PURPOSE INTRODUCTION INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LG ELECTIONS PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ISSUES FOR NOTING NEW LG LANDSCAPE POST 2011 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  3. 1. PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION a) To inform the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs about progress to date on the preparation for the 2011 Local Government Elections. Your partner in service delivery and development

  4. 2. INTRODUCTION In terms of S24(1) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 ( Act No.117 of 1998), “the term of municipal councils is five years, calculated from the day following the date set for the previous elections of all municipal councils in terms of subsection (2)” of the Act. The term of office of the current municipal councils commenced on 01 March 2006, and expires on 02 March 2011, the elections should be held within 90 days after the expiry date. Essentially, the 90 days period would be calculated from 2 March 2011 ending on 30 May 2011. It therefore implies that the first possible date for the next municipal election within the 90 days period is 02 March 2011. Your partner in service delivery and development

  5. 3. INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS a)The Minister established the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to ensure coordination of support to the Independent Electoral Commission (“the Electoral Commission”) by government in preparation for the upcoming 2011 local government elections. Also established is the Technical Committee to give support to the IMC. b) The IMC consists of COGTA, Home Affairs, Police Services, Defence and Military Veterans, State Security, Police, Presidency, the Municipal Demarcation Board, South African Local Government Association and the Electoral Commission. A Technical Committee, which also includes provinces was established to support the IMC. Your partner in service delivery and development

  6. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS a) The Minister published in the Government Gazette a formula on the determination of number of councilors in July 2009. b) Subsequently, all nine MECs responsible for local government used the formula determined by the Minister, to determine number of councilors within their respective provinces. c) Municipal Demarcation Board (“the Board”) in August 2009 commenced with the process of ward delimitation that was completed in August 2010. d) According to the Board all local and metropolitan municipalities will have wards ranging from 4 to a maximum of 130 wards after the 2011 Local Government election. Your partner in service delivery and development

  7. e)On 1 September 2010, the Board formally handed over 4 277 final municipal wards delimited to the Electoral Commission, and a total of 278 municipalities will contest the 2011 local government elections which is a reduction of 5 municipalities from the current total of 283 municipalities. f) From September 2010 the Electoral Commission commenced with their logistical processes to prepare the country for the 2011 Local Government Elections. g) On 12 January 2011, the Electoral Commission launched the formal municipal elections process. At the launch, the Electoral Commission announced to the public registrations weekends of 5 and 6 February 2011, and 5 and 6 March 2011. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  8. h) Also launched by the Electoral Commission is the logo for the 2011 local government election reading “Love Your South Africa”. The purpose of the campaign is to appeal to the Youth and all unregistered potential voters to register and verify their registration details and ensure that they participate in the 2011 local government elections to improve the voters turnout. i) Currently there is a net of 23 117 444 registered voters in the common voters roll. j) On 5 and 6 February 2011, the first registration for the 2011 local government elections was undertaken by the Electoral Commission in 20 867 voting stations. k) Flooding in some parts of the Northern Cape, Free State and Western Cape provinces led to closure of 27 voting stations. l) According to the Electoral Commission, 1.2 million people visited the voting stations either to register, re-register and, or to check their details. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  9. The Local Government: Municipal Electoral Amendment Act, 2010 introduced, amongst others, special vote in local government elections to enable the disabled, elderly, sickly an opportunity to cast their vote two days before the actual date for the election subject to application being approved by the Electoral Commission. n) The Select Committee will note that the special vote dispensation also resolved the dispute between POPCRU and the Electoral Commission regarding members of the South African Police Service who will be afforded special votes before they get deployed to voting stations and election centres countrywide. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  10. o) There will be two types of ballot papers in the election for Proportional Representation (PR) and Ward councillor. In a Metropolitan municipality, there will be two votes for ward and PR councillor, whilst in the local municipality there will be three votes for a ward, PR, and another PR for the District Municipal Council. p) The Electoral Commission has already started a voter education countrywide in the month of January 2011. Approximately 60 000 registration officials were trained for the registration weekend, and no less than 196 000 staff members will be recruited as electoral officers for the election day. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  11. q) The Minister is consulting on the possible date for the 2011 local government elections within Government and the Electoral Commission. r) A series of engagements with the National Treasury unfolded with respect to the impact of the possible election date on the municipal annual budgets and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) processes. s) On 10 December 2010, the National Treasury published Circular number 54 to all municipalities in order to provide further guidance to municipalities and municipal entities for the preparation of their 2011/2012 annual budgets and Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework. t) On 24 January 2011, the two departments (COGTA & NT) jointly convened a meeting of all Municipal Managers, municipal Chief Financial Officers, Heads of Departments responsible for local government and provincial treasuries to inform them about the 2011 local government elections and its impact on the municipal annual budgets and IDPs processes. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  12. u) The Security Cluster reported readiness in all provinces to ensure that there is proper security before, during and after the 2011 local government elections. .  v) The Department of Home Affairs, working together with relevant stakeholders, has intensified the Identity Document campaign countrywide, but the campaign is not specifically linked with the elections. However, more people will be able to acquire IDs and be able to vote as a result of the campaign. w) The Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) is ready to ensure proper communication about all election related matters before, during and after the elections to all South Africans. 4. PROGRESS REGISTERED TO DATE IN PREPARATION FOR THE 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS Your partner in service delivery and development

  13. 5. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The 5 and 6 March 2011 is the second registration weekend to be undertaken by the Electoral Commission. The Minister after consultation with the Electoral Commission, intends to proclaim in a Government Gazette the election date after the expiry date (02 March 2011) of the current term of office for municipal councillors. The Electoral Commission will close the municipal segments of the voters roll for the 2011 LG elections, and compile a final election time table for publication in the Government Gazette. The outline in the time table will lead to the actual day of 2011 local government elections. It should be noted that the publication of the final electoral time table in Government Gazette, and the closing of the voters roll can only be published after the Minister has proclaimed in a Government Notice a date for the 2011 Local Government Elections. Your partner in service delivery and development

  14. 6. OTHER ISSUES FOR NOTING a) The Minister will soon be Gazetting the Regulations on the Participation of Municipal Staff Members in the Elections; b) Provinces are also engaged and assisted to publish section 12 Notices for the purposes of allocation of seats by the Electoral Commission; c) Provinces will also be engaged and assisted to finalize section 12 Notices with respect to establishments and disestablishments of municipalities due to redeterminations, and the incorporation of District Management Areas into adjacent local municipalities. Your partner in service delivery and development

  15. 6. OTHER ISSUES FOR NOTING The Mangaung Municipality court case on the re-determination as a Metro has been withdrawn. The Matjhabeng Municipality court case disputing the delimited wards with the Board is still pending. The Hola Born Renaissance Foundation (HBRF) court case to interdict the President not to proclaim the election date and for the Board to declare Soweto as a municipality was discussed by the court. The Moutse court case will be heard by the Constitutional Court on 10 March 2011. Your partner in service delivery and development

  16. 7. NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT LANDSCAPE POST- 2011 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS a)Re-determination of municipal boundaries and the delimitation of wards by the Board resulted in structural changes in number of municipalities and wards. b) A total number of 278 municipal councils will be contested in the 2011 municipal elections. c) 8 Category A municipalities, 226 Category B municipalities and 44 Category C district municipalities. e) Number of wards increased from 3895 to 4277. Your partner in service delivery and development

  17. THANK YOU Your partner in service delivery and development

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