Emalahleni Local Municipality and Victor Khanye Local Municipality is going to stay two entities on its own.
During pre-board meetings to evaluate the amalgamation of the two municipalities it was decided not to go ahead with the merger.
“This decision by the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) is the best for both municipalities,” said a relieved Mr Diikgetse Sepenyane, spokesperson for the Delmas community, who from the beginning was against the amalgamation.
The amalgamation of 10 municipalities in the province was decided upon by the MDB and the reason they held was to enhance their financial viability and administrative capacity to perform municipal functions efficiently and effectively.
Even though this amalgamation is not happening the South African municipal landscape is going to change after the next municipal elections in 2016 following the final decision of the MDB on the re-determination of municipal boundaries.
The MDB Chairperson, Landiwe Mahlangu said,
“We have reached the final leg of this cycle and made the final determination of the cases that were before the board. In reaching its final determination, the board was by law expected based on objections received to either vary, confirm or withdraw its decision on a particular case”.
The Board had 157 cases that had been published in terms of section 21 notices and received close to 10 000 objections from different provinces with the majority being from Gauteng.
In Mpumalanga Province there were two cases which were duly confirmed. Firstly, the re-determination affecting Mbombela Local Municipality and Bushbuckridge Local Municipality. This is the exclusion of portions of the farms Marite 287, Sandford 291, the Red Ridge 293 and Madras 292, from the municipal area of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality and by including them into the municipal area of Mbombela Local Municipality and by excluding portions of the farms Sandford 291 and Madras 292, from the municipal area of Mbombela Local Municipality and by including them into the municipal area of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality.
Secondly, the re-determination of Lekwa Local Municipality and Dipaleseng Local Municipality. This is excluding farms Raskop 524, Boschmansfontein 523 and Farm 525 from the municipal area of Lekwa Local Municipality and including them into the municipal area of Dipaleseng Local Municipality.
