The National Assembly has officially passed the Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority Bill, sending the crucial legislative reform straight to President Cyril Ramaphosa for assent.

On Wednesday, the House adopted the report of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, concurring with all amendments introduced by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

The passage of this Bill officially repeals the legacy Municipal Demarcation Act of 1998 and introduces a modernised framework for determining local government boundaries.

The National Assembly first passed the Bill in 2023 and sent it to the NCOP for concurrence. However, the Bill lapsed at the end of the Sixth Parliament in May 2024 and was revived by the NCOP on July 29, 2024.

The Council passed the Bill with amendments on November 27 last year.

The law completely restructures the country's spatial planning mechanisms by replacing the existing Municipal Demarcation Board with a newly established Independent Municipal Demarcation Authority.

Boundary decisions must actively support effective local governance, equitable utility access, and sustainable service delivery and demarcations are legally required to foster integrated development and localised economic growth.

The legislation introduces a public participation framework, allowing local communities to formally comment on and object to proposed ward configurations.

A newly formed Demarcation Appeals Authority will serve as an independent legal mechanism for citizens and municipalities to challenge boundary decisions.

To enhance institutional capacity, the Bill explicitly introduces information technology as a core area of knowledge and expertise required when appointing board members.

Furthermore, the selection panel tasked with recommending these board members has been expanded to ensure broader accountability.

The panel will now feature active representation from both the National Assembly oversight committee for local government and the National House of Traditional and Khoisan leaders.