The Community Action Network, an initiative of OUTA, will monitor the passage of the so-called Coalition Bill when it goes through parliament, as this bill could fundamentally impact local government.

According to CAN Project Manager Jonathan Erasmus, the revised deadline for public comment on the bill, formally known as the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, was on 31 August.

CAN provided a comprehensive submission to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the bill and invited other civil society organisations and the public to adopt this submission as their own.

“We are happy to announce that our report was adopted by 74 other submitters. We made our submission available to the public in order to entrench participatory democracy,” said Erasmus. 

Erasmus said 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 must stay vigilant to safeguard our democracy. It’s essential that the will of the people, not just the decisions of a minister, determines how local governments operate. Municipalities are accountable to the citizens who elected them, and we must ensure this principle is upheld," 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.

The bill is still with the department and is expected to be introduced in parliament by the minister.

Erasmus said, in collaboration with OUTA’s parliamentary office, the bill will be monitored and where opportunities arise, CAN will continue to provide input and civic oversight. 

“Municipalities are, for many people, the only place where they directly communicate with government. While we agree that municipalities must be stable, accountable and transparent, we equally believe that municipalities must be areas where democracy can be expressed,” 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, CAN's Project Manager, is here.

To find out more about the amendment and read our submission, see here.

Read more about OUTA's CAN initiative here.