The Municipal Systems Amendment Bill 2019 is now available for comment. The bill seeks to amend the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000, so as to:

• Insert and amend certain definitions
• To make further provision for the appointment of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers
• To provide for procedures and competency criteria for such appointments, and for the consequences of appointments made otherwise than in accordance with such procedures and criteria
• To determine time frames within which performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers must be concluded
• To make further provision for the evaluation of the performances of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers
• To require employment contracts and performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers to be consistent with the Act and any regulations made by the Minister
• To require all staff systems and procedures of a municipality to be consistent with uniform standards determined by the Minister by regulation
• To bar municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers from holding political office in political parties
• To regulate the employment of municipal employees who have been dismissed
• To provide for the Minister to make regulations relating to the duties, remuneration, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers
• To provide for the approval of staff establishments of municipalities by the respective municipal councils
• To prohibit the employment of a person in a municipality if the post to which he or she is appointed is not provided for in the staff establishment of that municipality
• To enable the Minister to prescribe frameworks to regulate human resource management systems for local government and mandates for organised local government
• To extend the Minister’s powers to make regulations relating to municipal staff matters; to make a consequential amendment to the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998, by deleting the provision dealing with the appointment of municipal managers; and
• To provide for matters connected therewith

Public hearings

Public hearings will be held as follows:

• On Tuesday, 13 April 2021 at 10am at both the Ulundi Local Municipality Council Chamber, Zululand District Municipality and the Council Chamber, Amajuba District Municipality.
• On Wednesday, 14 April 2021 at 10am at both the Council Chamber, uMkhanyakude District Municipality and Council Chamber, Ilembe District Municipality.
• On Tuesday, 20 April 2021 at 10am at both the Council Chamber, Harry Gwala District Municipality and Council Chamber, Ethekwini Municipality.

Written submissions must be addressed to Ms Nonto Molefe and be submitted as follows:

• Mailed to KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Private Bag X 9112, Pietermaritzburg, 3200;
• Sent to WhatsApp number 060 5032194;
• Posted on the Committee’s Facebook page: KZN Legislature COGTA Portfolio Committee.
• The closing date for written submissions is 23 April, 2021. Copies of the Bill are available on the KZN Legislature’s website: www.kznlegislature.gov.za

For further details, please contact Nonto Molefe on Tel 033 3557467 or email: ndlovunz@kznleg.gov.za